The Ishida Brothers
by Hopeful Writer
Summary: This fic is an AU. CHAPTER 10 UP - Less intense than ch 9. The twins realize they have no luck with women.
1. Meet The Ishidas

HW: Raissa and LVJ, front and center.

Raissa: Present.

LiLVarajon: Right here.

HW: I've got a fic idea. ::whispers to the two::

LiLVarajon: We'll get right on it.

HW: You know the drill.

Raissa: HW doesn't own Digimon, nor does she claim too. All those who feel that she should, however, please join her in writing a letter to the writers in Japan.

LiLVarajon: Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, SaturnsChild, Knight, Evil Tenchi, Fallen angel of Hope, Immia, AlexPG13, Wolfie, PhoenixChild, TogetherAgain, AAUK, Arylwren, and Digicowboy. Special dedication to Dream Street (like they read this stuff) for inspiration.

Raissa: Picture Matt and TK with three brothers, Kevin, Corbette, and Corey. The five like to sing. So one of them comes up with a brilliant idea: to form a band. Unfortunately, they have to play in bars for work. Then they get a record deal. And things go from bad to worse.

LiLVarajon: And here's The Ishida Brothers, Chapter 1: Meet the Ishidas, by LiLVarajon and Raissa.

~~~~~~~~

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

Dictated by: LiLVarajon and Raissa

****

Chapter 1: Meet the Ishidas

"And now, here's the Ishida brothers!"

17-year-old Matt Ishida began to sing. He and his four brothers, TK, Kevin, Corbette, and Corey, made up the Ishida brothers. They were a motley crew, working in bars to make money. They didn't have a CD; they couldn't find an agent. The more the boys looked at it, the more it seemed like a pipe dream. But TK's optimistic spirit kept them in the business.

It had been TK's idea to start a band in the first place. Matt, Kevin, Corey, and Corbette had laughed at him, teasing him about his thought. But the more the middle child had tried to convince them, the more he had succeeded.

Though Matt and Corbette, twins, were the real lookers of the group, it was 12-year-old Corey who possessed a rather magical charm that kept the band in business. Corey was the youngest, with a very happy demeanor. He, like the rest of the boys, had sparkling blue eyes, but his glittered a little more than the others.

Kevin was 13. He had already graduated from the school of hard knocks. Kevin's past was mysterious, even to his brothers. He was adopted, yet he was part of the family. When he was born, his parents were divorced. Because they didn't want anyone to know they had been together the whole time, they put the baby up for adoption. Later, they adopted him back into the family, claiming that they were looking for an addition. This was after Corey had been born. But the similarities were too difficult to deny and Kevin finally wheedled the truth out of his parents: he was a blood relative of his adoptive brothers.

Matt, Corbette, TK, and Corey knew little about Kevin's life at the orphanage. All they knew was that it wasn't a nice place. Most of the kids did drugs and were constantly violent. By the time he was eight, Kevin had been knocked out twice and had knocked out six people.

TK was the optimist. He was also the scholar of the family. While Matt, Corbette, and Corey could pull off some good grades, and Kevin rarely tried, TK was the one with the highest marks. You know, the one you always beat up for being the "curve-killer" on tests. He was too smart to be stuck working like that, but he'd never leave as long as his brothers were in it.

There wasn't much to say about TK after his optimism. His personality was so different from the norm that it was difficult to describe. He was cheerful, sunny, and proud one minute than angry and hostile the next. The kid had a wicked temper, only to be matched by his deep sensitivity.

TK was also the only member of the group with a steady girlfriend, or any girlfriend for that matter. He had been dating Kari Kamiya (A/N - Who didn't see that coming?) for four years, since he was eleven. Both had the same good-natured attitude and mischievous smile.

Corbette and Matt were twins. Matt was the older, by four minutes. They were identical, both with the trademark Ishida hair down to their chins. They even had the same scar from their left eye to their left ear, from falling off their bikes as kids. The boys had convinced everyone that they could read each other's minds and, for some reason, no one ever doubted them.

Matt was the more serious, more wistful twin. He was more inclined to look before leaping. He had an air of confidence about him, a shield of reliability. He was almost to the point of being cocky, yet his eyes told a different tale. Matt was very overprotective, especially of Kevin.

Corbette was the opposite in almost every way. He was daring, reckless even. He wasn't afraid to do anything. He was especially fond of motorcycles and dirt bikes. Corbette had a mischievous glint in his eyes and was easily the most cynical brother, even beating out Kevin. He, too, was overprotective, mostly of Corey, who was rather prone to getting taken advantage of.

So that was it. The Ishida Brothers. The five charming boys who were trying to make a name for themselves. The problem was, they played in bars. Anyone who learned their name was too drunk to remember it.

"I know you want, to make things right, to move ahead, find a way to win the fight," Matt sang, gripping the microphone comfortably. "And though it's hard, to keep the faith, we'll make it through, if we take it day by day."

Kevin took over, his white-blond hair, just a little lighter than his brothers, swishing as he spun. "They say that all good things, will come to those who wait. And if we believe in each other, I know we can make it together."

"Baby, it's just, a matter of time. If we can take it slow everything will be all right. Let it flow. And I know that we'll find, it's just a matter of time," the five boys sang together, the chorus.

"When you feel down, and out of touch and no one's there, no one's there to lift you up. Life's not as bad, as it may seem, just hold on tight and never lose sight of your dreams," Corbette continued.

Corey took over. "They say that all good things will come to those who wait. And if we believe in each other, I know we can make it together."

They sang the chorus again, then TK took over. "And if we ever lose our way, I know we can find the brighter day. There is no mountain, we can't climb. It's just a matter of time." At time, he jumped into the air and performed a small array of flips that seemed almost impossible. Even the drunk crowd gasped in approval.

The boys finished by singing the chorus a few more times. The sang the rest of their songs and left the bar, happy to walk away from the sickening smell of beer and pot.

"Is it worth it?" Matt asked, always the optimist (A/N - insert sarcastic tone there).

"Yes," was the quick reply from TK. "We made fifty bucks each tonight."

Matt sighed and laid a hand on his younger brother's shoulder. "Look, TK, fifty bucks is good now, while we've still got Mom and Dad to pay for us. But Corbette and I have to go to college next year and the finances are going to get low. We need to make more than fifty bucks every-so-often."

The middle child sighed, his perpetual gleam somewhat stinted. "I know, but we'll get there if we keep trying. Think about the song, Matt. You wrote it. It's just a matter of time."

Matt shot a glance at his twin, who shrugged back. The oldest child sighed, too. "Okay, TK. Another gig, another night at the bar. We'll do it all again."

TK beamed, finally making Matt feel like it was the right decision. "You're the best, guys," he praised, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears.

Another night was going to be more drastic than they thought.

TO BE CONTINUED...

~~~~~~~~

HW: That's all for Chapter 1: Meet the Ishidas. Stay tuned for Chapter 2: Look Who's Watching.

LiLVarajon: Please review. Flames accepted, criticism appreciated, compliments worshipped.

Raissa: A word of advice. You will be laughed at for your flames, be wary.

HW: That's all for now. See you next time! §LaTa§ -- hW


	2. Look Who's Watching

HW: Okay, LVJ, Raissa, are you ready to continue?

LiLVarajon: Sure. Ready, Raissa?

Raissa: You know it.

HW: You know the drill.

LiLVarajon: Right. HW does not own Digimon, nor does she claim to, but the little voices in her head tell her to go to Japan and make the writer's let her help. Anyone want to help? Oh, but she does own Wakoki Records because it doesn't exist and is a figment of her imagination.

Raissa: Shout outs to (deep breath) Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, SaturnsChild, Knight, EvilTenchi, Fallen angel of Hope, Immia, AlexPG13, Wolfie, PhoenixChild, TogetherAgain, AAUK, Arylwren, and Digicowboy. Wow, that list is getting long.

LiLVarajon: This is Chapter 2 of The Ishida Brothers. So the boys have a gig one night. But amongst the audience of drunks is a very unexpected person. Who might it be? Read to find out.

HW: Very suspenseful, LVJ.

Raissa: Here's Chapter 2: Look Who's Watching.

~~~~~~~~

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

Dictated by: LiLVarajon and Raissa

****

Chapter 2: Look Who's Watching

"Another day, another night in that gross bar," Corey chirped, smiling at the reproachful whacks his brothers gave him.

'Poor kid,' TK thought. 'This isn't fair to him. He's so young and has so much potential. Why's he sticking with us?' He didn't open his mouth, but it seemed that Corey understood anyway, though the young boy only smiled knowingly.

They came to a fork in the road they were walking on. Corbette nodded to Kevin and Corey. "We'll see you guys after school," he promised the younger boys. They nodded and walked off in one direction.

"Good kids," Matt mumbled as they started in the other direction. "They don't deserve to have to work in bars, especially that young."

"Yeah," Corbette agreed, staring at the ground, a moment of seriousness out of the normally joking boy.

TK knew that, no matter what insecurities he had, he had to stay strong. He may not have been the oldest, but he found himself protecting them as much as they protected him sometimes. "We won't be in bars forever, guys. We'll get a record deal soon. I just know we will."

Matt patted the tall boy's shoulder. "Okay, buddy. If you say so." TK could tell that the twins didn't believe him anymore.

********

School was not a bad place for Kevin. He liked to learn, even though he wasn't really smart. He had a good group of friends, even if they could give him a hard time sometimes.

Kevin's best friend, Conor Thompson, slapped him five. "Hey, Kevin. How's life in the boy band world?"

Kevin shrugged. "No different than yesterday."

Conor grinned. "You know, you're one of the bravest people I know to keep sticking with this."

Kevin couldn't contain a small blush. "Thanks. TK's convinced we're going to get a record deal soon. He said if we just keep working, we'll get noticed eventually."

"I think he's right."

"Maybe." To be honest, Kevin wasn't that sure. But woe be him if he ever told anyone that.

********

That night, Corbette and Matt had another fight over who would drive the car to "work," ended with TK hopping into the driver's seat and starting the car. When the twins stared at him like he was crazy, he flashed his newly obtained permit at them, causing them to groan in disgust. Kevin got out of the car. "TK driving is a hazard to my health," he insisted, smirking at his older brother in an infuriating way.

"Get in or you're staying home," Corbette ordered, hopping into the passenger's seat and checking for his driver's license. Kevin obliged, grumbling the whole time.

With TK driving, they arrived in record time, yet the boy was a very careful driver. "You're better than Corbette," Corey praised sincerely, not noticing the younger twin glaring at him.

TK flushed. "Thanks, kid." 

They performed better that night than they had in a long time. It was as if they knew that destiny was in the audience, having a drink, one of the only sober ones in the house.

After the concert, as the boys were leaving, one of the drunk men started to make some rather rude jeers at them. He came towards Kevin mockingly, while the slightly short boy stood his ground. Matt looked ready to pounce.

The man suddenly took a swing at Kevin. As he got ready to block and punch, Matt threw himself in the way, taking the blow and knocking the guy out in the same moment. Kevin immediately spun on his brother. "You know, I can take care of myself!" he cried, his fists clenched and his lips twisted in disgust. "I've had a rougher time than any of you and I've been through a lot more. I'm thirteen, not three. Let me fight my own battles."

Matt looked abashed at Kevin's outburst. Corbette gave the former a gentle push towards the door. Corey followed, but TK lagged behind to wait for Kevin. The younger boy let his eyes roam over the cigarette-covered floor before joining his brothers at the door. There they were cut off by a tall man with dark eyes and the blackest hair they'd ever seen.

"Excuse me," Corbette said politely.

"Actually, I'd like to beg a moment of your time," he requested, his words forming complete, intelligible sentences.

Corbette looked at Matt, who was already looking back. "Okay," the latter replied, not quite sure what to say to that.

The man led them to a table and bought a beer, knowing that the boys were too young for alcohol consumption. "My name is Jack. Jack Sanders. I represent Wakoki Records. One of my workers was here the other day when you performed and he couldn't stop talking about you and how good you were, so I thought I'd come and check you out. And I was very surprised to find that he was right, especially after seeing how young you all were."

"Thanks," Corey piped up, making Jack Sanders laugh.

"What I'm trying to say, boys, and I've never been good with words and sentences, but we'd like to offer you a record deal. I would become your manager and you would have choreographers and vocal teachers. Not that you really need it," he added, seeing a flash of skepticism cross Corbette's face.

"Yes!" TK exclaimed.

"We'll talk about it," Matt corrected sternly. "Is there a place we can reach you in a few days?"

Jack Sanders looked more pleased at Matt's response than TK's. He pulled a small piece of paper from his sports coat. "Sure. Here's my business card. You can reach me at this number before six, and this number after," he instructed, indicating two separate phone numbers.

"Okay. We have to go now, Mr. Sanders. We have a curfew."

Jack Sanders chuckled. "Okay. I'll be in touch with you in a few days, I suppose. Good bye."

"Bye," Corey chirped as they left the bar.

"Why didn't you say yes?" TK demanded as soon as they had exited the building, his hands on his hips.

Matt slid into the driver's seat, this time with no complaint from Corbette. "Because we need to talk about it first. I know it's what we've been waiting for, but there are pros and cons, just like everything else."

TK looked a little pouty, but listened anyway. "Pro," Corey called out, "no more working in bars."

"Con," Matt retorted, "strict hours."

"Pro," TK piped up, "We finally get what we've been working towards."

"Con," Corbette added, "Someone else dictates how we sing and dance." He *had* been bothered by the choreographer and the vocal instructor.

"Pro," commented Kevin, the last one to speak up, "people will know who we are and the people we play for won't be stone-drunk."

Matt and Corbette were silent for a moment as they mulled that over. "Okay," Matt finally agreed. "We'll call him tomorrow and tell him we say yes."

"Yea!" The back seat of the car bust into cheers.

'What did I just get us into?' Matt wondered as he carefully drove home. But even he couldn't fathom what they would soon be up against.

~~~~~~~~

HW: That's all for Chapter 2: Look Who's Watching. Next is Chapter 3: In The Beginning.

Raissa: Please review. Flames accepted, criticism appreciated, compliments worshipped.

LiLVarajon: You will be laughed at for your flames, just a small warning.

HW: But they're good for s'mores, so send away if you really want. §LaTa§ -- hW


	3. Inside the Studio

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I don't even own enough confidence in myself to write this fic without some kind words. But I do own Wakoki records, Corey, Kevin, and Corbette. The songs are Dream Street's.

A/N - After much wait, this is chapter 3 of the Ishida Brothers. It's dedicated to DJ Clue for one of the nicest reviews I've ever gotten. It got me motivated to write again, although this still took several months to finish. It's also dedicated to Dark Gamer. When he decided to work on his fic, one that he hadn't touched in months, I decided it was time to pick this up too.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, Galassos Gal 124, PhoniexChild, TogetherAgain, Wolfie, AAUK, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Phire Phoenix, sweetchick07089, Blackout12, AlexPG13, Takari's Baybee, Immia, and shadow2k.

The boys finally got a record deal. Great, right? Or is it?

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 3 - Inside the Studio

Matt and TK got into a fist fight the next day. "This was a bad idea, TK!" Matt screamed, being held back by Corbette as he swung furiously at his younger brother. "The music business is too tough to get into."

"We're in!" TK yelled back. It took both Kevin and Corey to hold him down as squirmed to be let go. "You're so cynical. Why can't you just accept that we might actually get something good out of this?"

Matt settled down, and Corbette let him go slowly. "Because good things never happen to us," the oldest child mumbled, angrily glaring at the ground.

TK stopped wriggling. Kevin and Corey let him go and he moved towards Matt and placed a hand on his older brother's shoulder. "Maybe they finally are."

************

_TK may be the optimist, but I believe good things are finally happening too_, Kevin realized as they drove to the studio. _It's about time we started getting recognized. We're not half-bad, for a bunch of brothers._

"What're you thinking about, Kevin?" Corey asked quietly. TK and Matt were so wrapped up in thought that they didn't notice, and Corbette was concentrating on his driving.

"Just… stuff."

"Yeah, it is cool that we're finally going to get paid for this," Corey continued, as if Kevin had actually answered. The older boy looked at him, amazed.

Corey laughed. "You don't think I can tell what you're thinking. You're my brother, Kevin, flesh and blood. I've lived with you for a long time now. Besides, you're pretty easy to read." He lowered his voice. "TK's the hard one in the family."

Kevin blinked. "Wow. I… I never thought _that_."

Corbette stopped the car. "We're here," he announced, marveling at the exterior of the studio.

"Do we get to make a CD?" Corey chirped, hopping out of the car after TK.

"Probably not today," Corbette told him honestly. The older boy slung an arm around his little brother's shoulders. "Just think, Core. In a few weeks, maybe months, we might be famous."

Corey beamed. "That'd be so cool!" Corbette laughed as they went inside.

Kevin's breath caught in his throat. Never, even when they started working in bars, did he imagine they'd make it to a real studio. "Holy Gods," he whispered, feeling enough respect to keep his voice down.

"This is the concert hall too," a voice told them. They turned, surprised, to see Jack Sanders behind them. "Welcome to Wakoki Stadium."

************

It took a month, but the boys finally made a CD. Jack Sanders called them together one day, and declared, "You've been working hard, but you're ready now, ready for your first tour. You have to get these permission slips signed by your parents, and give them this information. We'll meet back here in two days for an information session. Your parents should come too."

"Jack?" He turned to Corbette. "We all have the same parents. Can't we just take one permission slip and one information packet."

Jack shook his head. "You only need one information packet, but for legal concerns, you all have to get permission slips signed."

"Oh. Okay."

************

Finally, _finally_, the boys were ready to go on tour. The horror was just about to sink in.

A/N - To be continued. I'm just glad I finally got that off my chest, even if it is pretty short. The next chapter will take place on the tour. 

NEXT TIME - Kevin catches Jack doing something he shouldn't be doing, and Matt and TK fight again.


	4. The First Day

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, nor do I own any of the songs. They're Dream Street's. I do own Wakoki Records, Corey, Kevin, and Corbette.

A/N - I'm on it again. The next edition of The Ishida Brothers is here. Kevin finds Jack doing something he shouldn't be doing and TK and Matt fight again. Plus, the boys meet someone new who will tour with them.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, PhoniexChild, TogetherAgain, Wolfie, Archangeluk, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Authormon, alfogamer2, Insane Friend 02, sweetchick08079, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Special dedication to DJ Clue for making me get back up and write more to this.

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 4 - The First Day

The bus drove slowly. None of the boys spoke. Corey was playing his Game Boy on his bed. Corbette was drawing. Matt was writing a new song. Kevin was sleeping. And TK was thinking about Kari. Their goodbye had been painful. 

**FLASHBACK**

"Do you have to go, TK?" Kari asked, sobbing as she hugged him tightly.

"Yeah. Don't worry. I'll only be gone for a couple months, and really less than that. The last few weeks are concerts nearby." TK had to fight the tears that burned behind his lowered eyelids.

"I love you," she whispered, not for the first time.

TK kissed her forehead and held her there, scarcely breathing. It took a moment for him to respond, "I love you, too. Nothing's ever going to change that. Not if I have a million gorgeous girls stripping off their clothes and giving me a lap dance," he promised.

Kari chuckled despite herself. "How long have you been thinking about _that?_"

TK laughed. "Actually, it's from Pretty Woman. Matt, Tai, and Sora were watching it the other night, and I sat with them for a little while. The night you went out with Yolei."

"I remember."

"TK! It's time to go!" It was Corbette's voice, ringing in his ears.

TK kissed Kari passionately. "I love you. I'll see you when I get back."

"Okay, TK. I love you. Have fun."

TK smiled at her. "I will. I'll write to you and call you every day."

"You'd better."

TK released her and walked slowly away. "Bye," he whispered.

She waved, tears streaming down her cheeks.

**END FLASHBACK**

TK cried now, thinking about it. He pulled out a piece of paper and popped on his headphones, trying to block out the thoughts. Maybe he'd write a song, like Matt was doing. He called it I Miss You.

Jack came back a little while later to talk to the boys, which involved waking Kevin. He grumbled slightly, but turned full attention to Jack anyway. "We're going to stop at a hotel for the next few nights. We're about 50 more miles from our first concert spot. We'll be on the road for another three hours or so. Everyone doing okay back here?"

"I'm bored," Corey whined. "I beat all my games."

Jack sighed. "You want to stop at the toy store and buy another? My treat."

Corey gaped at him. "You'd let me do that?"

"Sure, we'll stop as soon as I see one."

"What's the bus driver's name?" Corbette asked.

"Peter. Why?"

"Just wondering." Corbette went back to drawing.

"Where are we stopping?" Matt inquired.

"In a town called Furukawa (A/N - the town is real. I checked the encyclopedia. I just don't know anything about it, so don't take offense to anything wrong if this is your town)."

Kevin's head snapped up. "Furukawa?"

"Yes." The boy let a swear words squeak past his lips. "What's wrong?" Jack demanded.

"Nothing." Kevin never explained why he asked questions.

* ~ * ~ *

They arrived in Furukawa in a few hours. Corey bought a new game, so he was quiet most of the trip. TK and Matt were wrapped up in their song writing. Corbette stopped drawing and fell asleep. That left Kevin to think.

At the hotel, the twins immediately wanted to room together. That left Kevin, Corey, and TK to slug it out for the solo room, seeing as Jack wouldn't room with them. "Don't get your hopes up, guys. There may be someone else joining us on the tour," Jack told them. "If the deal didn't fall through."

A young voice piped up, "It didn't, Uncle Jack."

"Sakira!" Jack exclaimed. He hugged her, then turned back to the Ishidas. "Boys, this is my niece, Sakira. She will be joining you on the tour, as your opening act. She'll have to room with one of you."

TK, Kevin, and Corey stared at Jack, at Sakira, then at each other. In a very low voice, TK said, "I have a girlfriend. Kari would totally kill me for rooming with her."

Corey looked petrified. "I don't wanna room with a girl. Not in a million years."

TK and Corey turned to Kevin. "Aw, come on," he moaned. "Why me?"

"Better question is, why not you?" TK corrected.

"Because I'm allergic to girls."

"Like hell you are."

"Because I don't wanna."

"Not good enough."

"Because you're mean?"

"Bite me."

"Fine," Kevin finally relented. He studied Sakira. She was a cute one, about his age with waist-length black hair and sincere gray eyes. He walked over to her. "I'm Kevin Ishida," he greeted, extending his right hand out of habit. "I'll be your roommate for the next few months."

Sakira beamed and shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kevin. Thank you for being nice enough to room with me."

"No problem. Oh, and that's TK, Corey, Matt, and Corbette. My brothers."

"Wow, you have quite a big family."

"I guess you haven't heard of us before?" Corey asked, looking disappointed.

"No, I've seen your commercial on television and I have a copy of your CD. But I never thought I'd meet you in person. Uncle Jack didn't tell me I'd be touring with you. You see, you're the reason I started singing to begin with. I saw on the Internet how you used to perform in bars until you were "discovered" and I decided I could do it too, especially with my uncle to help get me into the music business."

Corey frown faded and he smiled happily. "Cool!" 

* ~ * ~ *

TK and Matt got into another fight that night because TK was moaning about missing Kari. "God, TK, get your head out of the clouds for once!" Matt yelled. "Why can't you ever think about what's going on, instead of the past or the future?"

"You're just jealous because you don't have anyone to miss!" TK screamed back.

Matt punched him, bloodying his nose. An all-out brawl erupted, leaving the other three boys too afraid to get involved. "Stop this now!" Jack roared, coming into the room.

TK and Matt paused, giving Corbette and Kevin time to pull them apart. "What's the meaning of this?" Jack demanded, seeing the abashed faces of TK and Matt.

"I miss my girlfriend and Matt can't understand that!" TK told him.

"TK always lives in the past. He has to move on. Kari will still be there when he gets back," Matt retorted.

"Shut up both of you," Jack ordered. He looked tired and his speech was a little slurred. "You're not to be fighting about such stupid things. TK, Matt's right. Your girlfriend will still be there when you get back. You have to focus on the present. Matt, TK's right. He should be allowed to miss his girlfriend as long as he still goes on with his life."

"Is this normal?" Corey whispered to Kevin. "Should they be fighting so much?" Kevin merely shrugged, not taking his eyes of Jack.

The manager left soon after, and Matt and TK were released. They sulked into their own rooms and shut each other out. Corey and Corbette went down to the hotel pool. Kevin set off for his own room.

"Hi," Sakira greeted as he entered. She was hanging up some of her clothes in the closet. 

"Hello."

"What are you going to do for the two hours we've got before dinner?"

Kevin grinned. "Explore the hotel. Wanna come?"

Sakira smiled slyly. "Sure. Let's go."

They wandered down the hall a little bit, before Kevin whispered, "You know you can pick hotel locks by using a credit card?" (A/N - I have no idea if that's true, but it seems kind of funny.)

"You're lying."

"No, watch." Kevin pulled a priceline.com card out of wallet and stuck it in the lock of the nearest door. There was a small click and he pulled the handle down hard. He opened the door a little and peaked in. It was Jack's room. And Jack was downing drink after drink of something. Kevin couldn't read the bottle, but he could smell it. Alcohol. And a lot of it, too.

Kevin glanced at Sakira, who was watching him, her eyes wide and fearful. They shut the door quietly and snuck back to their room.

"I didn't know my uncle was an alcoholic. Honest, Kevin, I didn't," Sakira swore.

"I know. I believe you," he told her. He was troubled by this. "I'm not sure my parents would be thrilled with this. Let's not tell the others. Maybe it's just this one time because the beginning of the tour was kind of rocky." Kevin didn't believe his own words, and neither did Sakira, but they agreed.

__

An alcoholic manager and two bickering brothers, Kevin thought. _What's going to happen next?_

A/N - To be continued. See, I can finish this story. It's actually getting quite interesting. Please review. The button's down there. No, the other one. No! That's the back button! It's in the lower left corner. There you go. Please review.

NEXT TIME - The boys perform and they meet some of their fans, as well as more tension between TK and Matt.


	5. Center Stage

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or Dream Street's songs. I own Corey, Kevin, Corbette, Sakira, and Wakoki Records.

A/N - I am on a roll! Chapter 5 is here! The Ishida Brothers perform their first concert while on tour, as well as meet their fans. 

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, PhoniexChild, TogetherAgain, Wolfie, Archangeluk, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Authormon, alfogamer2, sweetchick08079, Insane Friend 02, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Dedication to DJ Clue for making me keep going (as with the last two chapters).

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 5 - Center Stage

Corey squinted as the sunlight met his eyes. He shut them and tried to salvage what remained of his sleep, but it proved futile. He yawned, stretched, and climbed out of the big hotel bed. TK was still fast asleep, snoring quietly. Taking care not to wake him, Corey showered, changed, and left the room in search of his other brothers.

Kevin and Sakira were downstairs already, eating a light breakfast. Kevin's stomach grumbled nervously. He couldn't keep down much. Corey and Sakira only picked at their food too.

"Nervous?" Kevin finally asked them. It was the first he'd spoken all morning, except to greet the other two.

Corey nodded. Sakira answered, "Extremely."

In their room, the twins noiselessly awoke at the same time. It was normal for that to happen. "Morning, Corbette," Matt mumbled, not even turning to see if he was speaking to a conscious person.

"Morning," the slightly younger boy replied. They, too, got ready and headed downstairs for the buffet. On the way down, they passed Corey, Kevin, and Sakira heading upstairs. "Where're you going?" Corbette wondered.

"Back upstairs," Corey told him. "Finished eating already. Can't eat much anyway. Besides, I've got to wake TK before he's late for his own concert."

"First concert," Kevin mused, as they walked away from the twins. "Wonder if anyone's even going to show."

"They will," Sakira promised. 

* ~ * ~ *

After running through a quick warm-up drill and some stretches for both singing and dancing, the boys and Sakira were left to their thoughts for an hour before the show started. Sakira and Kevin spoke quietly, trying to keep their minds off the concert and what they'd seen last night. Matt and Corbette played cards and talked about some people back at home. Corey watched in amusement, occasionally pointing to something in Corbette's hand. Matt glared at him every time. TK continued to write his song, thinking about Kari as he did. God, he missed her. More than he'd ever have imagined.

"Sakira, show time, babe," Jack said, popping out of nowhere. Sakira bit her lip and Kevin hid his guilty face. The previous night kept flashing through their minds.

"Good luck," Matt called to her, not looking up from his card game. Corbette echoed him. TK looked up from his paper long enough to flash her a smile and a thumbs-up. Corey hugged her.

Kevin grabbed Sakira's shoulder as she got ready. He hugged her tightly and whispered, "Good luck. Not that you need it." He pecked her cheek shyly, then disappeared backstage.

Sakira's eyes followed him. "Thanks," she mumbled, knowing he couldn't hear. She'd never tell him, but he had always been her favorite of the brothers, the cutest and the sweetest. At least, from what she'd read and seen online.

Fighting the nervousness, she prepared herself and sang her heart out. The boys realized they'd never heard her sing before and were amazed. "She's awesome!" TK piped up, pulling away from his song to listen.

"Yeah," Corbette agreed.

Kevin and Corey were speechless. "How does someone so giddy and hyper and tomboyish sing so peaceful and girlish?" Corey wondered.

Kevin shook his head, unable to say a word. He was aware that he was gaping, but he couldn't fight it. In the lights, with the music in the background, dancing to the slow song, she was beautiful. In just a day, he was already thinking of her as an honorary sister. But, this, this was a new feeling. He was sure he had a crush on her.

He noticed the way her thin yellow T-shirt flattered the gentle curves of her body. He noticed how her jeans hugged her frame in a way that took his breath away. He shivered. He couldn't believe that he, the tough, cold Ishida, was falling head over heals for Sakira. His roommate. _Well, this is going to be awkward_, he thought. But he didn't care. He was in love and he could scarcely believe it.

Sakira finished and took a bow. She scrambled backstage to the praises of the boys. "That was amazing, Sakira," Matt complimented, hugging her gently.

"Thanks," she replied bashfully.

"Awesome," TK added, patting her shoulder. Corey and Corbette threw in a few words as well.

Sakira pulled away from them to walk over to Kevin. "What did you think?" she asked, locking his eyes on hers.

Kevin took a deep, trembling breath. "I thought… you were more than amazing. You took my breath away, Saki, you really did."

She threw her arms around him. "Thanks," she whispered into his ear. "That means a lot to me. And good luck. You're on in a few seconds."

Kevin gulped. "Thanks for reminding me," he joked, taking his place with his brothers, who were all smiling as if they knew something he didn't.

They heard their cue, then the music and began to sing. For the first time, these songs that they had slaved over were being heard by people who could appreciate them. Matt couldn't help but notice all the girls out there, all screaming their names. He sure felt proud. He glanced at TK, who was beaming despite himself. The kid was right. They were going to make it.

They finished to the loudest applause they'd ever heard. Backstage, Sakira made a point to hug all of them, sweaty as they may be. "You were great!" she screamed, coincidentally into Kevin's left ear.

"Saki, I need that ear," he told her, rubbing it until the ringing disappeared.

She blushed. "Sorry."

Kevin opened his mouth, but Jack interrupted, "You guys were all amazing. You have to sign autographs now. Come on, quickly now." They followed with a shrug.

* ~ * ~ *

There was a large mass of people screaming as they made their way to the table to sign autographs. Corey cast a huge smile at Corbette, who returned it. They seated themselves, from left to right, Corbette, Matt, TK, Corey, Kevin, Sakira. "Hi," Corbette greeted the first person. "What's your name?"

She swallowed hard. "M—Molly," she answered. "C—Can I take your picture?"

Corbette grinned. "Sure." He smiled for the camera, signed her paper, then greeted the next person.

After a while, he barely noticed whose paper he was signing. A petite, attractive girl caught his attention, though, and he listened to her name. Annabelle. Pretty name. Her friend took a picture of the two of them together, Corbette was kissing her cheek, she was giggling slightly. As she moved on, he thought, _I hope she comes to more concerts. _

* ~ * ~ *

All six of them were thoroughly exhausted by the time they went back to the hotel. They were staying in Furukawa for another two days before they went on to Yuzawa, which was a little more than 50 miles away (A/N - all true). They had a concert tomorrow in Shinjo, about 30 miles from their hotel.

Sakira and Kevin collapsed into their respective beds without bothering to change. "I'm so tired I could sleep through a tornado," Kevin moaned.

"_I'm_ so tired I could be dead," Sakira challenged. Kevin laughed.

"Saki?" Best say this while she was tired. If things didn't work out well, he could always tell her it was a dream. 

"Hmm?" She already half asleep.

"Well, uh, today, while you were onstage and everything, I did some thinking. And, uh, I know we just met yesterday and all, but we've already grown pretty close and stuff. And, uh—"

"Kevin? You're talking in circles and using 'uh' a lot. Get to the point before I fall asleep."

Kevin flushed. "Okay then. I think… I think I like you. I think I _really_ like you."

Sakira woke up instantly. "You… you what?"

Kevin gulped. Probably not a good response. "I like you."

Sakira was silent and Kevin prayed she was asleep. She ruined that prayer when she spoke. "Well, that's good to hear."

"Huh?"

Sakira giggled a little. "I like you, too, Kevin. I've liked you ever since I saw your picture on the commercial. And when I met you, well, it was like a dream come true. Rooming with you, God, that was unbelievable. But this… this is too cool for words. It's the first time anybody's ever liked me before."

Kevin stared at her. "Really? I think you're just missing them. You're great. Why wouldn't anyone like you?"

Sakira shrugged. There was a soft knock on their door. Kevin pulled it open to reveal a very tired Corey, rubbing his eyes. "Can I sleep in here tonight?" he asked pitifully. "TK's on the phone with Kari and it'll be ages before he gets off and he's keeping me awake."

Kevin glanced at Sakira, who shrugged and nodded, then led his little brother into the room. "The concert was televised, by the way. Kari saw it," Corey told them, yawning.

"Really?" Kevin didn't know if he was more shocked or pleased by this.

"Kari is TK's girlfriend?" Sakira guessed, glancing at the boys.

Corey nodded. "I understand that he misses her, but does he have to talk to her all night?" the youngest moaned.

"He's TK, of course he does," his older brother answered. Corey groaned.

"I'm going to bed," Sakira said. "Night, guys."

"Night," Corey mumbled, falling asleep already. Kevin had let him share the queen-sized bed.

"Night, Saki. Night, Corey," Kevin whispered, pulling the covers up to his chin. The day's events flashed through his mind and he sighed peacefully. All in all, it hadn't been as bad as he'd feared. If only he'd known that good things can only get worse.

A/N - (in announcer voice) Well, that sounds ominous. What kind of trouble can the boys get into? Will I ever have a life? Find out next time on The Ishida Brothers! (in HW's voice) Oh, yeah, and please review. It'll help me out to write more quickly.

NEXT TIME - Another concert, Jack doing more bad things, and a look inside Corey's mind. Plus, we finally get to see TK's song.


	6. I Miss You

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon or Dream Street's songs. I do own Wakoki Records, Corey, Kevin, Corbette, and Sakira.

A/N - I'm enjoying writing this now, even though I didn't get many reviews for chapters 4 and 5. Sorry this chapter took so long. I do this story on a different computer than the one with the Internet and I haven't worked on this computer recently. In this chapter, chapter 6 (wow), we get a look from Corey's mind, Jack does some more bad stuff, another concert, and TK's song.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, PhoniexChild, TogetherAgain, Wolfie, Archangeluk, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Insane Friend 02, Authormon, sweetchick08079, alfogamer2, Digicowboy, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Dedication to DJ Clue (again) for telling me to continue and believe in myself. That was four chapters ago. I'm still thanking him. 

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 6 - I Miss You

Kevin woke up the next morning with a pain in his side. He looked around, annoyed, then realized he'd fallen asleep on his little brother's arm. Corey didn't look disturbed at all. Sakira was already awake and in the shower. Kevin sighed slightly as he thought about her.

Corey awoke shortly after and the boys went down for breakfast in their pajamas after scribbling a short note to Sakira. 

There were some noises coming from Jack's room as they passed it. Kevin looked at Corey to see if he'd heard, but there was no recognition from the younger boy. "Go on without me," Kevin ordered. "I'll be down in a minute. I… need to call TK and make sure he got up."

Corey bought it and skipped to the elevator to go downstairs. Kevin darted to his room, gave TK the wake up call, then grabbed his priceline.com card and went back to Jack's room. Checking to make sure no one could see him, he unlocked the door and opened it a crack. Just as before, Jack was downing bottle after bottle of something that smelled suspiciously like alcohol. This time he had a cigarette in his mouth too. Or actually… Kevin took a closer look. It didn't smell like a cigarette. Suddenly he realized what it was and pulled the door shut in fear. Marijuana. Oh, God.

"Kevin? What are you still doing here? I thought you went downstairs." Kevin spun around, face pale, and saw Sakira. "What's wrong?" she demanded, nearing him.

"Jack… smoking marijuana… downing booze. He could be in big trouble, Saki. _Big_ trouble."

Sakira pulled him away from the door. "Let's go eat breakfast. We're not going to talk about this now. Tonight, though, tell your brothers to come into our room. They need to know this is happening." Kevin nodded, and they didn't say another word about it.

* ~ * ~ *

Corey was bored of eating breakfast alone. Sakira and Kevin were off doing whatever people in love did, even though they didn't quite realize they were in love. Corbette and Matt were so caught up in their lives as twins that they didn't realize that they sometimes shunned the others. TK was living in his thoughts, missing Kari too much to care about his brothers.

Corey sighed. If he'd known he was going to be bored, he may not have agreed to join in the beginning. It'd started off as great fun. He could act like a little kid and nobody minded because it helped for publicity. They didn't understand though. TK had Kari, and Kevin had Sakira. Matt liked his friend, Sora, who Corey knew liked him back, and Corbette had many girlfriends. But, because he was the youngest, Corey had never had a girlfriend. He desperately wanted one, wanted to understand what was so special about it. But no one ever liked the baby.

Kevin and Sakira joined him at the table, but he couldn't eat much anyway. He was nervous about the concert, just as nervous as yesterday. He knew he couldn't get past it that quickly.

"I'm going to go get ready," he told them. "I'll see you in a little while."

"Okay," Kevin replied, not quite looking at him.

Corey sighed. Hopefully TK was ready to come downstairs so he could have the room to himself for a little while. He loved his brothers, but being so close to them was driving him crazy. It wasn't like Corbette and Matt, who couldn't stand to be separated. He needed time for himself, to be alone. He couldn't get that in a hotel.

Luckily, TK had already gone downstairs when he got back. He lay spread-eagle on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He knew he should be getting ready for the concert, but he was more content to lay there. Finally, he rose slowly and dressed himself in the black T-shirt and baggy silver pants he'd been instructed to wear. He rubbed gel into his hair and tousled it. He grinned at his reflection. _Cute_, he thought. _Real cute. But no one ever wants to date cute._

* ~ * ~ *

Kevin slid his gray swish pants on and pulled a white T-shirt over it. The T-shirt had the Nike label on it. He grabbed his wax and spiked his whole head of strawberry-blond hair. His eyes glimmered in the mirror. _Looks good_, he decided. _I think it's the hair. It makes me look older. Nice._

He exited the bathroom. Sakira was dressed in a low-cut baby blue sleeveless, with baggy jeans that ended at her ankles. Her black hair lay free on her back and glimmered in the light. She had just a touch of makeup on, enough to make Kevin blush. "Cute," he approved. "I like it."

Sakira stifled a snicker and beamed at him. She ran her fingers through his hair, moving a few spikes this way or that. "Perfect," she complimented. Kevin smiled. She kissed his cheek quickly, then opened the door and gestured him out.

* ~ * ~ *

They met up with TK, Matt, and Corbette downstairs. "Where's Corey?" the oldest asked. 

Kevin shrugged, as did TK. "Last time I saw him was at breakfast. He's probably still getting ready," Kevin said.

As if on cue, the elevator opened and Corey ran out. "Ready," he announced, earning a few grins from his brothers. 

TK yawned a couple times, surprising everyone. "TK, just how late were you up last night?" Matt demanded, his overprotective side showing.

TK shrugged a little. "I don't know. One o'clock or so."

Matt slapped his head, causing TK to rush to fix his hair. "Stupid, we've got a concert today. You can be tired for that."

"Relax, Matt. I'll get an adrenaline rush and won't be tired anymore. It happened last time."

"What were you doing until one in the morning?"

"Talking to Kari," Corey tattled.

"Not until one," TK argued. "I was talking to her until 11:30 or so. Then I was writing a song that I'm going to sing at the concert today."

That caught Corbette's attention, which had been focused on the pattern in the carpet. "What's it called?"

"I Miss You. Now, don't ask anymore. You'll hear it at the concert."

Fortunately Jack came down at that moment to save TK from more inquisition. Sakira and Kevin exchanged guilty looks, then hid behind the others as they made their way out to the tour bus.

The ride was less than an hour and they amused themselves quietly. Kevin, Corbette, Sakira, and TK were playing cards. Matt and Corey were writing songs. When they arrived at the concert hall, Jack told them they had to do a "meet and greet".

"What's that?" Corey asked, voicing everyone's uncertainty. 

"It's where you sign autographs and greet your fans, instead of doing it at the end. The first group of people in line get to hang out with you until the concert."

"They do?" For some reason, this intrigued Corbette. Jack nodded.

Corbette was surprised to see the first person in line to be the girl from yesterday: Annabelle. Her smile was contagious; he grinned too. "Hi," he greeted, trying not to seem too interested. "You were here yesterday, weren't you?"

She nodded. "I'm Annabelle." She handed him a piece of paper to sign. "Can I take your picture?"

"Sure." Corbette flashed a big smile at the camera until he heard the click. He scribbled something on her paper, grinned at her again, then she moved on.

When Annabelle got to the end of the line she was told to wait. As she did, she read the papers. Sakira's read, "_Annabelle, thanks for coming and supporting us. You're one of the reasons I keep singing. –Sakira."_

Corey's read, "Annabelle, you have a really nice smile. I hope you like the concert. From, Corey."

"Hey, Annabelle, you're cool. I saw you at the last concert. Thanks for coming. Hope you enjoy this one. Peace, Kevin. P.S. - Keep smiling. It uses less muscles than frowning."

"Hi, Annabelle. I think you're one of our biggest fans. Enjoy the concert. Bye! --TK."

"Annabelle, you've got a really cute smile. Keep smiling and never give up on your dreams. You can always achieve them with a push in the right direction. –Matt."

__

"Hi, Annabelle. I saw you at the last concert. You seem really nice. Give me a call sometime, maybe we can get together. 555-0801. Talk to you soon (I hope). Enjoy the concert. Later, Corbette."

Annabelle sighed dreamily as she read the last one and stole a glance at Corbette. He was so cute. He caught her eye and winked at her, sending her blushing. The manager came over. "Hi," he greeted. "Since you were the first in line, you get to spend an hour with the boys and Sakira backstage as they prepare for their concert. I hope you have some questions to ask them."

Annabelle stared at him for a moment before breaking into a huge smile and nodding. "O—okay," she stammered. 

The finished their signing and joined Jack next to Corbette's favorite fan. "Hi," he greeted shyly, not knowing what else to say.

"Hi. I'm Annabelle," she reminded them.

Corbette resisted the urge to say, "I know." Kevin and Corey exchanged grins. "Hi, Annabelle," Corey greeted cheerily, coating his voice with that little-kid sweetness.

"Hi," Kevin echoed, struggling against his snickers. Sakira rolled her eyes at him.

There was a loud crack from backstage and the three brothers all ran in, their eyes wide. TK was holding Matt down and punching him in the gut. The crack had been where Matt's head had connected with a wooden shelf. Corbette pulled the younger boy off the older and held him tightly. "What the hell happened here?" he demanded of his brothers.

Kevin and Sakira glanced at each other. Corey was shivering. He'd never seen TK so mad before. Annabelle just stood there, feeling like an intruder. All of a sudden TK began to cry. Matt lay on his back, just watching. "What's wrong, TK?" Corbette asked, a little gentler this time.

"Matt blew up because I wasn't greeting Annabelle, I was thinking about Kari. I said it helped me with my song. He cursed off the song, then called Kari… a lot of bad names. And then I threw him against the wall and started punching him. That's when you guys came in."

Matt looked abashed. All were silent until Corbette finally spoke, in a very soft voice. "We have a fan here. Kevin, Corey, Saki, and I are going to greet her. You two are going to stay here and work things out. Come find us when you're done fighting, understand?" TK nodded and was released. Matt nodded from the floor.

The boys left and shut the door behind them. Sakira had taken Annabelle out a moment earlier and was talking to the fan, making up some sort of excuse. Kevin shot her a grateful look and mouthed, "I'll explain later." She nodded discreetly.

"Well, Annabelle, do you have any questions for us?" Corbette asked, trying to figure out what he was supposed to be doing.

She giggled slightly. "I'm sure I can think of some."

"Make it like an interview," Corey piped up excitedly. 

Annabelle laughed. "Okay. First question, because I'm sure the public is dying to know, do you guys have girlfriends? Or a boyfriend, Sakira?"

"No," Corbette answered immediately.

"Nope, I'm completely single," Corey agreed with a wry smile.

"Sort of," Kevin added, blushing.

"Sort of," Sakira echoed.

Corbette glanced at both of them. "Before this tour, you were very single, Kevin." He raised an eyebrow.

Kevin flushed a dark red. "Things change."

"What about TK and Matt?" Annabelle asked, breaking up an argument.

"I've got a girlfriend," TK said, coming up behind them. Matt was with him and they both looked a little shy.

"I've got… a crush," Matt admitted.

"Matt likes Sora! Matt likes Sora!" Corey sang, snickering. Kevin laughed with him.

"Okay, next question," Matt begged.

Annabelle grinned. "Are the rumors on the Internet true? Did you guys really start by performing in bars?"

"Yeah, that's true," Corbette told her. "We worked at bars for three months or so before Jack found us. We were just about to quit too."

"Would have quit two days after we started if it wasn't for TK," Matt commented lightly. TK smiled up at him. "He kept making us go back, saying we'd hit it big eventually. He was right." Matt patted his shoulder affectionately, and Corbette wasn't worried about anymore fighting between them.

"Guys!" It was Jack. "It's time for hair and makeup and stuff. Come on. Bring your fan."

Matt looked down at his orange sleeveless shirt and light gray pants. "I can't wear this anymore," he pointed out, indicating his shirt, which had dirt all over the front and back.

Corbette grabbed his bag and pulled out a navy blue sleeveless shirt. Tossing it to Matt, he ordered, "Put this one on instead."

"Thanks," Matt replied, switching shirts.

They sat for makeup. Corey was twitching angrily. He hated having to put stuff on that made him look like a girl. Kevin was nearly asleep, sitting there so peacefully he might have been dead. TK was thinking, barely noticing what gunk was going on his face. Matt was also pretty lost in his thoughts. Corbette was squirming a little, sneezing as the blush came to close to his nose.

When they were done, they stretched, both physically and vocally. Already, it had become a routine to them.

Then they sat with Annabelle for ten minutes before the show started. "Can you think of another question?" Kevin asked her. "I'm bored."

She studied him a moment before grinning coyly and saying, "Are you dating Sakira?"

He paled and reddened at the same time, turning his face an interesting shade of pink. His eyes flickered to Sakira, who appeared about the same color. He hopped to his feet. "You know what? I'm not so bored anymore. I'm sure something over... over there," he indicated, "is much more interesting." He moved away from Annabelle, and Corbette sidled over to her.

"Hey," he whispered, turning her attention away from the retreating Kevin. She blushed immediately and wondered why he had this effect on her. "So when did you become a fan?" Corbette inquired, trying to start a conversation.

Annabelle thought for a moment. "A month ago I suppose. I was reading a magazine and there was an article about The Ishida Brothers, a new family band or whatever. It described your past and everything, and had a picture and I just... I don't know, decided I liked you guys."

Corbette slipped on his lady-killer smile (A/N - got that idea from Martha and Squirrel's description of Sirius Black). Annabelle blushed again, obviously not used to being paid so much attention. "So who's your favorite?" the cocky blonde continued.

"I'd have to say Matt," Annabelle answered promptly, managing to hold a straight face.

Of course, Corbette saw right through her. "Hate to break your heart, but Matt's already got a girlfriend... sort of. He's figuring his way into a relationship at least." Inside, his heart gave a flutter. _She likes **me**, _he thought. _Why else would she try to wind me up?_

Annabelle mock-pouted, her eyes glimmering with mirth. Before she could give another witty remark, Jack called her over and told her she'd have to sit in the audience now. Corbette winked at her and hissed, "Call me." It was all she could do not to jump up and down and squeal.

Sakira started and Kevin found himself lost in her trance again. He was dizzy, hopelessly in love, and it was driving him crazy.

Corey poked the older boy. "Kevin, hey, Kev, snap out of it. The others are starting to notice. Kevin, you're drooling. Kevin, Britney Spears wants to talk to you. Kevin, Mandy Moore wants to talk to you. Kevin, TK died. Kevin, WAKE UP!" Corey didn't yell the last words, more like hissed them loudly into his brother's ear.

Kevin jumped. "Where's the fire?" he asked hurriedly.

"Oh, so _that's _what I have to say to stop you from staring," Corey retorted, letting an inkling of sarcasm slip into his voice. Kevin looked a little surprised.

"What's your problem? Can't you see I'm watching?"

Corey bit back a snigger. "Watching? More like drooling."

Kevin rubbed his chin self-consciously. "Why does she have to be so darn pretty?" he mumbled, almost to himself. His eyes locked on her again, and Corey took that as his cue to retreat.

"Ah, to be young and in love," Corbette joked, putting a hand on Corey's shoulder. The latter grinned up with a knowing smile. "He'll figure it out, buddy. Let him alone for a while. Always seems to clear up Matt's head. Either that or a good beating will work."

Corey laughed. "Maybe we should have TK beat up Kevin."

Corbette pretended to mull over this for a moment. "Sounds good to me." They shared a giggle. It was a rare moment. Usually Matt and Corbette were inseparable, and Corey would tag along with Kevin.

Then Corey blinked and things were back to normal. Corbette patted his back then moved to where Matt and TK were talking. Corey looked at Kevin, shook his head.

Sakira finished to a startling thunderous applause. She came backstage, very peppy. The twins hugged her together and she sputtered a meek protest. TK clapped her on the back, very much aware of his surroundings now. Corey grinned at her and hugged her, muttering his own congratulations. Kevin swallowed hard and pulled her into a hug, kissing her cheek affectionately. Sakira's face colored and Corey and Corbette found themselves stifling snickers.

The boys performed well, opening with Matter of Time and ending with TK's song. He took the microphone nervously. "Hey," he greeted, grinning slightly. There was a load of screaming. His smile widened. "Um, I wrote this song myself and even the others haven't heard it yet. It's for my, uh, girlfriend. I, um, hope you enjoy it."

The music began to play. (A/N - Don't ask how. You know in cartoons they always just seem to know what music to play.) TK spoke into the mic. "Although you're so many miles from me, I just want you to know, that I could never forget you."

He began to sing. Sitting here in my room alone.

Got the radio on and it's playing our song

I keep your picture beside my bed

And as I hold it so close, I keep hearing you saying

I love you, and wherever I am I thinking of you

And until you come back to me.

I'll send my love to you straight from the heart

'Cause, baby, I miss you

Baby, I miss you.

I feel you so near though we're so far apart

'Cause, baby, I miss you

Baby, I miss you.

Tears like rain falling from my eyes

As we said our good byes, I could feel my heart break

Only emptiness filled my soul

I was half not whole, but I pray you'll come back because

I love you, and wherever I am I'm thinking of you

Every hour of the day, baby.

I'll send my love to you straight from the heart

'Cause, baby, I miss you

Baby, I miss you.

I feel you so near though we're so far apart

'Cause, baby, I miss you

Baby, I miss you.

His brothers joined in.

I'll send my love to you straight from the heart

'Cause, baby, I miss you

Baby, I miss you.

I feel you so near though we're so far apart

'Cause, baby, I miss you

Baby, I miss you.

You know I'm so lost 

Without you.

Sending all my love to you straight from the heart

Baby, I miss you. I'll be

Sending all my love to you straight from the heart

Baby, I miss you.

Baby, I miss you.

The applause was thunderous. TK was thrilled. Even his brothers were beaming and Sakira had tears in her eyes. Corey could only imagine how long his conversation with Kari would be tonight.

Hating to crash the good mood, Kevin put on a serious face when he spoke to his brothers softly on the tour bus. "Meet me and Saki in the our room at 8:30 tonight. We need to talk."

8:30 found all six of them crammed into the hotel room. Sakira and Kevin shared a look and Kevin spoke. "We're in trouble."

A/N - (Davis-announcer voice) Wow, what's going to happen next? Are the boys in for the shock of their lives, or what? How will they get past this? (HW voice) You know what? I don't care if you review or not 'cause obviously asking for reviews isn't working. I'm writing this for me now (thanks to a push from DJ Clue). So there. By the way, TK's song was by Dream Street. I was going to write it myself, but this fit perfectly. Each of the other boys will get their own songs and I will write most of them. I will also write songs for Sakira soon.

NEXT TIME - Sakira's past comes out, we find out why Kevin hates Furukawa (his past comes back to haunt him), we see Matt's thoughts, and we meet Sora's new arch-rival – Fan Girl (she'll have a name... eventually).


	7. Truth Be Told

Disclaimer: Me + Digimon \ the truth. Songs = Dream Street's. However, I do own Wakoki Records, Jack, Corey, Kevin, Corbette, and Sakira, and all their problems.

A/N - I'm in the best mood! My least favorite person on American Idol got kicked off. The nightmare is finally over. No offense to her or anything, I'm sure she's a really great person and all, but she sort of sings like a sheep. (A/N as of later - By the time I finished this, one of my favorites had been kicked off too, but it was after a great performance so it's better than after a crappy performance. Then (it took three weeks), this good person got off, but I didn't like her that much, even though she was one of the best, and my second favorite got kicked off, which leaves my favorite and this cute guy. And _then_ (yes, it took six weeks), my favorite won! Go Kelly Clarkson!)

Anyway, this is chapter 7. It's so hard to believe that I'm here. I intended to stop at chapter 2 because it wasn't doing well. I think I'm going to be thanking DJ Clue forever. That was such an inspirational review. Actually, I'm not really writing this to anyone but her and PhoniexChild (and now Flame), since they're the only ones that ever review. I also owe DJ Clue the biggest apology. In the last chapter I said him, instead of her. I feel really bad and I'm sorry.

Flame, the reason TK always "wins" the fights with Matt is because he has a reason for fighting. Don't worry, though. You haven't seen the last of their fights and Matt starts to understand what it's like to have something to fight for.

In this chapter, Sakira's past is revealed, we find out why Kevin hates Furukawa, we get inside Matt's head, and we meet a new fan, who's totally obsessed with Matt—and makes it very public.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, PhoniexChild, TogetherAgain, Wolfie, Archangeluk, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Authormon, Insane Friend 02, sweetchick08079, alfogamer2, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Dedication to (as usual) DJ Clue for the reasons listed above.

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 7 - Truth Be Told

"What kind of trouble, Kevin, Saki? What's going on?" Matt's voice had a very demanding ring to it and Sakira nearly collapsed in sobs. She shivered, her face pale, and Kevin took the risk of clutching her hand. Corey and Corbette exchanged knowing looks.

"Okay, here's the deal," Kevin began. "Last night, me and Saki were exploring around the hotel and we heard some weird noises from Jack's room. We, um, opened the door—"

"How?" Corbette asked predictably. 

Kevin grinned sheepishly. "Did you know that if you put a credit card in the lock it opens the door?"

"Kevin!"

"What?" Kevin was a little annoyed at the details his brother was picking up on. "Anyway, Jack was downing cup after cup, or shot, or whatever they're called, of alcohol. This morning I heard the noises again. We checked it out, he was doing it again, but this time with marijuana too."

For the first time Kevin could remember, there was dead silence in the room. Sakira shuddered and Kevin tightened his grip on her hand subconsciously. Corbette looked at Matt, who looked at TK, who looked at Corey, who looked back to Corbette. "Well, now what?" Corbette ventured. He was met with shrugs.

Corey was yawning, even though it was still fairly early. It had been an exhausting day. "I say we go to bed," the young boy suggested. "Tomorrow we can think about this."

There was a muffled agreement from everyone else as they parted. The last Kevin heard from them was Corey order, "TK, don't even think about calling Kari until I'm asleep. I'm not sleeping with Kevin again." The older boy laughed.

Kevin closed the door softly. "Now what?" he asked his roommate.

Sakira sighed. "We need to talk, too."

Kevin had been dreading this. He rubbed the back of his head nonchalantly and shot a flirtatious grin at her. "Sure. About what?"

Sakira glared at him. "You know full well, Kevin Ishida. Are we or aren't we a couple? I saw how quickly you avoiding the question when Annabelle asked it. I think we need to sort it out."

Kevin swallowed and blinked once before answering. The silence bothered Sakira, but before she could say anything, he already opened his mouth. "Willyoubemygirlfriend?" he blurted in a rush, mentally kicking himself. He took a deep breath and tried again. "I mean, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked. He ran a hand through his still-spiked hair and tried to be suave. He'd already made a fool of himself once. Let's not do it again.

Sakira was beaming at Kevin. "I'd gladly be your girlfriend." She kissed his cheek and Kevin couldn't help sighing in relief. Only one thing bothered him. He was itching to kiss her lips. He wet his own nervously, unaware that he was staring. His blue eyes were somewhat troubled and they burned with lust. Then he blinked and put up a mask, hiding it all. 

Sakira felt relieved. They'd fixed one problem. Now they could move on to the second. At the thought of her uncle, her mother's only brother, she shivered again and Kevin noticed. "What's wrong?" he demanded, propping himself off his bed.

She stammered for words and found only a strangled moan leaving her lips. But Kevin understood; he always did. He sat next to her, on her bed, and hugged her, rocking her gently until her tears subsided. "Have you always been close to him?" Kevin asked quietly.

Sakira's head snapped up and she pulled away, her usually cheerful face clouded with anger. "I've never been close to him," she hissed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to go into this story. It'll only hurt more than anything."

"Saki." Kevin's voice was soft and soothing and he was rubbing her back. "Talking will help. It'll help ease the pain."

Sakira was surprised that Kevin could see that it caused her pain, then realized how obvious she was being. She took a deep breath and began to speak. "When I was nine, my father died and my mom left. She said she needed a vacation to forget him. She left me with Uncle Jack. She was gone for three weeks. For three weeks, he hit me and... and touched me and... abused me without anybody knowing. I was nine, I didn't know I should tell people. He got away with it all and my mom came back and took me back and I never said anything to anybody before now." She stared at a very bewildered Kevin. "How did you just get that out of me?"

Kevin didn't answer right away and it didn't seem like he was going to. He just hugged Sakira and held her there as she cried into his shirt. Finally he replied, "I don't know. I've learned that with most people, animals too, if you rub their back and whisper softly to them, they tend to open up for you. I suppose it's from taking care of the younger kids at the orphanage for a while."

"You were in an orphanage?"

Kevin was surprised Sakira didn't know. "I'm adopted. Well, actually there's a rather confusing story behind that. My parents had me when they were divorced, so they put me up for adoption and adopted me back into the family after they remarried, which was when I was about eight. So I took care of some of the younger kids who came there and wouldn't say a thing about where they were from or what happened to them. A lot of them were abused, but they opened up to me for some reason." He blushed slightly and grinned.

Sakira hugged him, startling him out of his memories. "That's so sweet," she told him.

He smiled wider. "You think so? Maybe I ought to do it more often." Sakira beamed at him.

She yawned. "I'm tired. Let's get some sleep." Kevin nodded, but hesitated. "What's wrong?" Sakira looked concerned. Kevin said nothing, just stared at her. "Kevin," she began, but was silenced by a kiss. A firm, hard kiss straight on her lips.

Kevin felt his heart racing and butterflies filled his stomach. He was lightheaded and his lips were tingling. His palms were sweaty. He broke off after what felt like an eternity, but was merely five to ten seconds. He was flushed and his hair was a bit disheveled where Sakira had run her fingers through it. "Sorry," he mumbled, moving to his own bed. "I just... I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" she asked, genuinely perplexed. Her normally pale face was tinged with a pinkish color, making her look like she'd finished running a race. She wore a big grin, one that would have looked silly to anyone but Kevin.

"For... for... you enjoyed it?" Kevin was aware that he was stammering, was aware that he couldn't stop it, and blushed.

Sakira gave him a look that made him smile. "Yes. Good night, Kevin." She pulled the covers over her and closed her eyes peacefully.

"Night, Saki." He studied her gentle features as she relaxed into sleep. Wisps of her soft black hair fell across her face. Her full rosy lips were pursed, almost as if she was sucking on a bottle. Kevin could only wonder what she was dreaming about. Her hands clutched the blanket as if it was her only protection. She looked content and warm.

Kevin turned over in bed, doubting that he would fall asleep soon. But he hadn't accounted for the long day he had experienced. Soon sleep took him as well and sank into a blissful oblivion.

* ~ * ~ *

For the first time in ages, Matt awoke before his twin brother. He stared at the sleeping figure in awe, like he was watching his reflection sleeping. He sighed. He was very unhappy being a twin. Not always, of course, but occasionally. Recently he'd been experiencing one of those times. He and Corbette were concerned about different things. Corbette was thinking about new concerts and the tour. Matt was thinking about his friends, especially Sora, and his fights with TK. It had occurred to him that TK usually wound up the "victor" (A/N - Thanks for pointing that out, Flame!), and he wondered why. 

Corbette arose a moment later and they set off for breakfast. "Won't be in this hotel much longer," Corbette mumbled, still shrugging off the last remnants of sleep.

"Yeah." Matt didn't say anymore, and Corbette realized he didn't want to talk.

They went down to find Corey already there. "Hi, guys," he greeted cheerfully.

Matt groaned inwardly. If it had been TK and Kevin he would have said hi to both of them separately. But Corbette and Matt counted as one person. They weren't Corbette Ishida and Matt Ishida. They were Morbette and Catt (A/N - Remind you of Harry Potter?) Ishida, pop star. Not pop _stars_, mind you. One pop star. (A/N - I think I stole that from someone. Come claim your line.)

Corey left quickly and TK came down. He was somewhat quieter around Matt, but he was yawning a lot. Matt couldn't resist asking, "How late were you up last night?"

TK glared at him, and Matt caught a look from Corbette too. He rolled his eyes characteristically. "11:00, _Mom_," TK replied sincerely. "I'm just tired, okay? It's been an exciting few days."

"He's right, Matt," Corbette agreed, though his tone clearly meant, Drop it.

Matt changed the subject. "Did Kari see the concert?"

TK nodded vigorously, beaming. "All she did was rave about it when I called her. She was sobbing into the phone." He silenced suddenly. "It made me miss her even more. I wanted to be comforting her." Tears burned in his beautiful blue eyes.

Matt reached out and patted the boy's shoulder. "Don't worry, TK. The time will fly. Just think how proud she is of you, how proud everyone is."

"Like Jimmy Moffit," Corbette laughed, putting a smile back on TK's face.

"Yeah, he can't ever say anything bad to me again," the fifteen-year-old declared proudly. Jimmy Moffit had given TK a lot of trouble about the band, putting them down time after time. Now he just couldn't do that anymore.

Kevin and Sakira came downstairs, both beaming and awake. It reminded Matt of the conversation from the night before. No one else mentioned it, so he didn't either.

"How are you two this morning?" Corbette asked, making conversation as he reached for some butter to put on his toast.

"Sore," Kevin complained, earning a laugh from TK.

Sakira shrugged. "We're not performing today, right?"

"I think Jack mentioned something about being allowed on our own to see the town," Matt commented lightly.

"Yea!" everyone else cheered.

They split up and changed, then met in the lobby for a conversation with Jack. "Good morning, everyone. Glad to see you're all wide awake." He missed the guilty looks the kids through around. "Today is for you. You can tour Furukawa, sleep, eat, whatever. Just meet back in the rooms by 6:00. We're going out to dinner with a very famous American group that's on tour in Japan."

The boys and Sakira left as quickly as possible.

* ~ * ~ *

"Where are we going to go?" Corbette demanded.

TK had a map. "How about this Main Street type thing? It's got a bunch of shops and restaurants and stuff like that. It's about a 5 minute walk from here. We can split up and meet someplace at a quarter to 6 and walk back together."

Matt nodded. "Good idea. Everybody be careful. Do you guys have your cell phones?" he asked his brothers. They nodded.

"I have one too," Sakira announced. She gave out the number to the boys and they split up.

Kevin and Sakira walked down Main Street, holding hands, just enjoying each other's company. It would have been perfect, had not they heard a deep voice from behind. "Well, well, well, if it isn't perfect little Kevin, with his perfect little family," someone drawled.

Kevin closed his eyes for a brief moment and cursed silently. _I **hate** Furukawa_, he remembered. _And this is why. _He turned around. "Hey, Trent, long time no see." He was grinning, but he was scared.

Trent Sky gave him a menacing look. "Got a girlfriend, Kevin? You know what I like about girls?" He pulled Sakira away from Kevin, and she squirmed vigorously. "They're so weak." He pulled her into a slobbery kiss, and Kevin felt his blood boil.

Sakira jerked back. "Weak, am I?" She sneered and brought her knee up sharply to connect with his groin hard. Kevin winced in empathetic pain, and Trent dropped to the ground and curled into the fetal position, crying.

Sakira grabbed Kevin's hand and dragged him a safe distance from Trent before looking at him questioningly. Kevin sighed. "This is my hometown," he explained, trying to sound as light as possible. "This is where my orphanage is." He smirked and spread his arms out. "Trent Sky was the bully of the orphanage. He was always in trouble, so he never got adopted. If he's still the same as he used to be, and he seems that way, he's probably still there. He resented everyone who was placed because... well, he wasn't. He never liked girls much, always thought they were pushovers, as you noticed, I'm sure. Boy, did you teach him a lesson." Kevin beamed with pride, and Sakira smiled gently.

Kevin draped an arm around her shoulder. "Let's forget about him and go on. Hopefully we won't see more of my past here. It's not something I'd like to relive. Today's supposed to be fun, right?"

"Yeah." Sakira nestled against his shoulder and they walked on.

* ~ * ~ *

Matt and Corbette strolled in the opposite direction of their brothers and temporary sister. They were quite content, and Matt didn't feel the resentment of being a twin right then. Several girls paused to check them out, and Corbette smiled flirtatiously at each one, sending them into bouts of giggles. Matt gave a charming half-smile, giving him that sexy, confident look.

Suddenly there was a high-pitched yelp. "OH, MY, GOD!!!!! YOU'RE MATT AND CORBETTE ISHIDA!!!!! I'M YOUR NUMBER ONE FAN!!!" Later, Matt would think, _You sure are, baby._ But now he was thinking, _Cover blown_.

"Uh, hi," he greeted casually. "What's your name?"

"I'm Cammie Mortier. I'm such a big fan of you and your brothers. But you're my favorite." She said the last part with a seductive smile and a giggle. Matt raised an eyebrow and thought of Sora to keep him from wanting anything to do with her.

It wasn't that she wasn't pretty or nice. She was beautiful, with dirty-blond hair to her shoulders and dark brown eyes that glittered with laughter. She seemed nice enough, a little giddy perhaps, but nice. But Matt had his sights set on Sora, and he wouldn't settle for anything different. 

Corbette noticed his dilemma and came to his rescue. "We've got to go now, Cammie. We're supposed to meet some friends at a restaurant nearby."

"Can I come?" She was tense with excitement.

Matt shot Corbette a pleading look, but Corbette was out of ideas. The older twin thought fast. "No, uh, our friends don't think of us as band members, they think of us as regular guys. If a fan came with us, it would bother them."

(A/N - I stole this part from an episode with Matt and Jun) She frowned. "You're lying," she accused. "You're not meeting friends." She suddenly grinned stealthily. "I promise not to tell anyone you were lying to me, and I'll save your reputation, if you go out on a date with me. Take me out after your next concert. I'll be there, no matter what. Bye." She gave a small wave and walked down the street smugly.

Matt's jaw dropped. "How did I get myself into that mess?" Corbette sniggered sympathetically. "Oh, shut up," the former ordered, whacking Corbette's shoulder, struggling to hold his smile. They walked on, thoughts of Sora and Cammie filling Matt's head.

A/N - There's a good stopping point, before it takes any longer. This chapter is a bit boring, but there was some stuff you needed to know about Sakira, Kevin, and Matt. I'll finish chapter 8 as soon as I can. School is starting soon and I still have a lot to do to prepare. That's my number 1 priority, but hopefully it doesn't mean that I have to stop everything else. Peace!

§--HW--§ (http://www.geocities.com/msbjewel and http://www.geocities.com/phoniexchild)

NEXT TIME - The big dinner, the move to the next town, and the first time Jack makes his problem common knowledge to the kids.


	8. A Major Problem

__

Disclaimer: Don't own Digimon or Dream Street's songs. For those who thought I did, one word: DUH! I do own Wakoki Records, Jack, Sakira, Kevin, Corey, and Corbette. Oh, yeah, and I don't own the American (well, technically Swedish) band that the boys meet.

A/N - Wow, I haven't updated this in a long time. Sorry about that. School kept interfering, then I got writer's block, you know the drill.

Chapter 8. The story's been a long way, but the boys are only on the third day of the tour. Tonight they eat dinner with a famous American band, tomorrow morning they move to Yuzawa, and tomorrow Jack makes a big mistake dealing with his problem.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, EeyoreP, Knight, SaturnsChild, EvilTenchi, Galassos Gal 124, PhoniexChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, ArchangelUK, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Authormon, Insane Friend 02, alfogamer2, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Dedication to, of course, DJ Clue for getting and keeping me motivated for this fic. 

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 8 - A Major Problem

The boys and Sakira met in Corey and TK's room at precisely 5:45. They were all dressed for a casual yet slightly fancy dinner. Corbette wore a pair of blue jeans with a simple white button-down shirt. Matt had on baggier black pants with a T-shirt that read, "Odiaba's Kids Care." It was from a cleanup committee he'd been part of. TK had black jeans with a plain blue T-shirt and a black vest over it. Kevin and Corey were both in tan slacks. Kevin wore a dark brown button-down shirt, and Corey had a black sweatshirt on. Sakira was wearing hip-huggers, with a plain white T-shirt and a denim jacket.

Jack knocked on the door at six. "Hey, guys. Ready to go?" There was a collective nod. "Great. We've got a limo that's going to take us to the restaurant."

Corey beamed. "Talk about traveling with style. I like it."

Jack laughed. "Wait until you hear the rest. But that's a surprise for dinner."

"What is it?" Kevin demanded immediately.

Jack chuckled. "I can't tell you yet." Kevin groaned.

* ~ * ~ *

Matt had to admit it was pretty cool to be traveling in a limo. "Can I stick my head out the sunroof?" he heard Corey beg.

"No," Jack replied.

"Please?"

"No!"

Corey took to pouting for a while. "Who's the band we're going to meet?" he finally asked.

Jack decided it was time to finally answer that question. "Their name is Play. They're a girl group, four girls all between the ages of 12 and 13. They're names are Anais, Anna, Rosie, and Faye. They're actually a Swedish band, but they've been mostly in the US recently." Matt and Corbette groaned. "What?" Jack asked.

"They're too young for us," Corbette explained.

"Me, too," commented TK quietly, not really concerned.

"Not me!" Kevin piped up. Sakira smacked him on the arm and he grinned and blushed.

Corey didn't speak, but his mind was reeling. 12 to 13? They wouldn't think he was just a little kid. He hid his smile. Maybe he had a chance, a chance his brothers wouldn't have.

* ~ * ~ *

The arrived at the restaurant ten minutes early, but the girls were already there. "Laila!" Jack called. An older woman turned around and immediately rushed over to hug him.

"Jack, good to see you," she said with a thick Swedish accent.

The boys stood at his side awkwardly, but Sakira moved towards the table that four young girls occupied. "Hi," she greeted, trying to break the tension. "I'm Sakira."

A redhead smiled. "I'm Faye. Pleased to meet you. This is Anna, Rosie, and Anais." She pointed to each one in turn.

"I'm Kevin," the blonde added, appearing at Sakira's side. "That's Corey, TK, Matt, and Corbette." He echoed her actions by pointing out each one of his brothers.

Faye looked at the twins nervously. "Which one's which again?" she asked, blushing.

They laughed merrily. "I'm Corbette," they chorused. The real Corbette glared at his counterpart. "No, I'm Corbette," he repeated. "That's Matt. Although he wishes he was me."

"No way!" the other sputtered. Kevin, TK, and Corey grinned and snickered.

"Sit down, please," Laila instructed, indicating the seats. The six obliged.

Conversation seemed to be a nil between the band members. They ordered quietly, each one waiting for someone else to start talking. Finally Matt looked at Jack. "Um... this is wonderful and all, mate, but what exactly are we doing here? And what's the big surprise that you kept hinting at during the ride over?"

Corey, who had been staring at his empty plate in wonder, looked up quite suddenly. "Yeah!"

Jack smiled at Laila, a secret smile. "We'll tell you over dessert," he replied. There was a chorus of groans from the boys.

Another minute of silence, then... "I'm hungry!" Kevin cried as his stomach growled.

The twins laughed. "How old are you?" Matt demanded.

Kevin started to count, then answered, "I don't know. I don't have enough fingers."

Corbette was snickering behind his hand. "Shut up," Matt retorted. He leaned back in his chair and looked around. "Hey, Corbette, isn't that your girlfriend? Annabelle or whatever?" He pointed to a small brunette.

Corbette choked on his water. "Annabelle? Where?"

"Ooh..." drawled Corey and Kevin in a teasing tone. 

"Who's Annabelle?"

Corey turned to look at Faye, who had asked the question. "Annabelle is this fan we met at our last concert who Corbette has a crush on," he told her matter-of-factly.

"Shut up, you dolt!" Corbette smacked him in the back of the head. Corey had to hide his wry smile.

Kevin turned to the girls. "So, what brings you four to Japan?" he asked conversationally.

"We doing a tour here," Anais answered. "Should be interesting, no?" 

"A ball of fun, I'm sure."

Meanwhile, Corey and Faye had broken off into their own conversation. "So what's your favorite part of Japan, so far?" he inquired.

It took a moment before she responded. "We haven't really had the opportunity to do much, but I really like the food here." She laughed. "Ugh, that probably sounds so glutton-ish."

Corey grinned. "No way. Most girls won't even admit that they eat food, let alone that they actually enjoy it. It's refreshingly honest."

She smiled back, almost shyly. "Have you lived here your whole life?"

"Well, I live in Onagawa, but I've lived there my entire life."

"How old are you?"

Corey bit back a sigh. This was the question he always dreaded. "Twelve. I'll be thirteen in three months."

"I'm thirteen," she replied with a smile.

The food arrived just then and the two bands began to dig in. The table was mostly silent, although it was largely due to the fact that the boys were eating as much as they could as quickly as they could. "You're going to get sick," Sakira warned as Kevin started on his third roll.

"Myf uh mrng oy," he retorted through a mouthful of food.

"Say it, don't spray it," Sakira told him, wiping his spit off her cheek.

He swallowed and repeated, "I'm a growing boy. I need to eat." Sakira merely rolled her eyes at him.

Corey couldn't keep his eyes off of Faye. While his original attraction had been towards Anna, he quickly realized she was a lot less interesting than the somewhat sarcastic redhead that sat across from him. He was definitely developing a crush on Faye. She caught his eye and smiled at him, and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Definitely.

As dinner came to a close, Jack attracted everyone attention. "Now for the news you've obviously been waiting for," he began. His voice was slurred, and Kevin shot a look at his glass of wine, which had been refilled several times. "Starting tomorrow, Play will be joining The Ishida Brothers for the remainder of the tour!"

"All right!" Corey couldn't help but sound a little overjoyed. He caught Faye's eye and they shared a grin. He had a good reason to be happy anyway.

Next to him, Kevin was singing softly, "Corey and Faye, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Obviously, Corey's outburst had attracted the attention of some people in the restaurant because they heard a voice say, "Corbette?" The younger twin turned curiously to see a familiar brunette. "It's me... Annabelle."

He grinned, trying to seem cool and collected. "Hey. Enjoying dinner?"

Kevin and Corey burst into not-well-hidden snickers before turning back to their dinners. "Yeah," Annabelle replied shyly. There was an awkward pause. "You?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

Another pause. "I should probably get back to my family."

"Oh, you're here with your family?"

"Yeah. That's them over there." She pointed to a graying man, a very short woman, and two identical little boys. "My parents and my brothers, Ryan and Patrick."

"They look nice." And Corbette really meant that. He loved his family dearly, but his parents didn't ever look at each other the way Annabelle's did – full of adoration and caring. He sighed, almost in a dreamlike state.

"Well, I should probably go." Annabelle's voice brought him back down to Earth.

"Oh, uh, okay. Talk to you soon."

"Yeah."

Corbette watched her as she walked back to her family. Her father said something to her, probably a little gibe about the conversation, and she turned red. The two boys, obviously twins, began to laugh. Corbette sighed again. Sometimes he hoped for a family like that. Why couldn't his family just be normal like that? They had never gone out to dinner and his parents certainly never teased the children.

"Corbette and Annabelle sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Kevin and Corey had taken up the rhyme now, trying their best to look cute and innocent as they did so. And failing miserably.

"We should probably go," Jack said. He hand Laila some money and smiled. "We'll see you bright and early tomorrow to go to Yuzawa."

"Of course. Good night, Jack. Good night, boys."

"Night," they chorused politely.

TK turned to the girls. "See you tomorrow, then."

Rosie smiled at him. "Right. Bye."

Corey and Faye exchanged one last smile, a smile that he tried to imprint in his memory until the next day. "Night," he whispered, offering a small wave.

"Sweet dreams," she whispered back.

He felt her eyes follow him as he walked away and he grinned. Of course his dreams would be sweet. He'd be dreaming of her.*

In the limo, Sakira leaned against Kevin's shoulder. "Should be an interesting tour, huh?" she whispered up to him.

"Yeah. There are certain things that will have to play out. That's for certain," he replied, keeping his voice low. Corey had fallen asleep nearby and Kevin didn't want to wake him. Matt and TK were talking quietly on the seat across from the couple, and Corbette was next to them, obviously lost in thought.

"Like Corey and Faye?"

"My thoughts exactly."

"We'll see about them, Mr. Ishida. We'll just have to wait and see."

* ~ * ~ *

Jack knocked on everybody's doors at 6:30 the next morning. "We're going to leave soon," he informed them. "Hope you're all packed."

Of course, Kevin wasn't. He dressed quickly and found himself scrambling around the room, looking for random articles of clothing that had been thrown around during the past three days. 

Sakira emerged from the bathroom and watched him for a minute before laughing. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"What's it look like?" he huffed. "Looking for my other sock."

"It's in the bathtub," she replied, moving to her neatly packed bags and collecting them cheerfully. 

Kevin looked puzzled. "How'd it get _there_?" he wondered, dashing into the bathroom to get it. He tossed it into his bag and scanned the room quickly. "Okay, I think that's it."

Sakira sighed and threw something at his head. "Not quite."

He pulled the cloth away from his face and found himself looking at a pair of yellow boxers with happy faces on them. He blushed immediately. "Er, thanks," he muttered, stuffing them quickly into his bag and trying to salvage his dignity with a suave smile.

"You know, there are people who would pay good money for those," Sakira informed him. "There's actually an online poll about whether you where boxers or briefs."

Kevin felt his face turn even redder. "Did you vote on it?" he asked coyly, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Sakira grinned cheekily. "_I_ already know the answer, don't I?" She picked up her bags and walked out of the room.

Kevin smiled at her retreating back. "So what's winning?" he called to her, hastily retrieving his own bags and following her out.

He didn't think she'd actually heard him until she replied, "Briefs."

* ~ * ~ *

By the time the brothers were actually ready to leave, it was 8:00. Jack met them in the lobby after he had checked them out. He looked bleary-eyed and his speech was a bit garbled. Kevin suspected he'd had some drinks, but he could just have a hangover from the wine last night. "The girls will be joining us in our bus for at least a little while. They can always get their own bus if that bothers you, but since we're not sleeping on the buses, Laila and I thought we could save gas this way."

"Cool by us," Matt told him.

"Okay. There's also been a little problem. The bus driver got called away on a family emergency. No worries though. I'll be driving the bus."

The girls showed up at that moment so they began to board the bus. Kevin was suddenly feeling very chilled, despite the warm weather around them. There was something very bad about Jack driving the bus.

However, Kevin didn't speak up about it. Instead, he followed his brothers onto the bus, glancing nervously at the driver's seat, but not opening his mouth.

"Ready to go?" Jack called when everyone was loaded. Laila gave him a thumbs up and he pulled the bus into gear.

The first half hour of the trip passed without a hitch, and Kevin let himself relax. _Jesus, buddy, you better lighten up_, he told himself. _Jack would never put you in any danger._ That's when he heard a sickening crack and felt himself get thrust into blackness.

* ~ * ~ *

When Kevin woke up, he was lying on his back, staring at the roof of the bus. "What the hell..." he murmured groggily, sitting up. Immediately his head began to pound and he clutched it with a moan.

Everyone around him seemed to be unconscious. _Please don't be dead_, he prayed. Sakira was closest. He checked for her pulse and sighed with relief when he felt a steady one. "Anybody awake?" he called. Not receiving any answer, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He called 9-1-1, trying his best to give a location to where they were and the conditions of his friends and family.

The ambulances arrived in less than ten minutes. "Thank God!" Kevin gasped when the opened the door the bus and began loading the others on stretchers.

"You're the kid that made the call?" one of the paramedics asked gruffly.

"Yeah. I'm Kevin."

"Terrence. You can sit up front in the ambulance. How ya feeling?"

Kevin's head pounded harder upon hearing another human voice. "Like my head was smashed through a pile of rocks," he admitted. "Other than, I'm okay."

* ~ * ~ *

Kevin was treated for a mild concussion, but he was by far in the best shape. Sakira and Anna awoke a few hours after they were brought to the hospital in weak condition, and the others followed. By the time Kevin was released, 24 hours later, the doctors were up to their elbows in semiconscious patients. 

Laila made the arrangements for the tour to be postponed a couple of days, and the doctors gave Kevin the freedom wander around the hospital – as long as he promised to behave. That's when he heard the doctors talking.

"...stone drunk, Milt. The guy was drunk as a tavern bum."

"No kidding? We ought to report him."

"The guy's a record producer! He's got money. We can always use this little information for benefits later on."

"Sounds good to me. I want to see some profit though, Jeff."

"Don't worry. You will."

Kevin pulled away and rushed down the hall to Sakira's room. He'd heard enough. "Saki! Jack was drunk when he was driving the bus. And the doctors that know want to use their knowledge to get some of his money."

Kevin was lucky that there was no one else in the room. Sakira paled instantly. "We need to do something. We need to... I don't know, get rid of the doctors or something."

Kevin turned to stare at her with wide eyes. "Like kill them?" he asked in a tiny voice.

She nibbled her lip. "I... I hope not."

* ~ * ~ *

Corey awoke to a pounding headache, a very white room, and his older brother watching over him, looking very concerned. "Hi, Kev," Corey muttered weakly, trying vainly to sit up.

"Oh, good, you're awake," Kevin breathed. "You're the last person to wake up."

"What happened?"

Kevin started to answer, but a brawny male nurse entered the room. "I'll tell you later," he replied quickly. "I've got to go check on the others."

"Wait! How is everyone?"

"On last check, Anais and Matt were already released, TK and Sakira are going to be very soon, Corbette had just woken up about five minutes before you, and Anna, Faye, and Rosie were being treated. Oh, yeah, and Laila was already released and Jack was being treated. Everyone's okay." Kevin looked as relieved about that as Corey felt.

"Good."

"Kid, I'm going to have to ask you to leave so I can treat him, okay?" the nurse interrupted. 

"Yeah, sure. See you later, Corey." With that, Kevin disappeared from the room.

* ~ * ~ *

When Corey was finally released, two days after the accident, the group loaded a new tour bus that had been rented. Apparently the old one had been wrecked beyond repair. "Wait, just one minute, please!" a voice called.

It was the doctors Kevin had overheard talking. "We'd like to speak to Jack Sanders," one requested.

"Sure." He hopped out of the bus and walked over to them.

Kevin shot a look at Sakira. "Guys, this is a problem. Jack was driving drunk when he crashed. The only people who know are those doctors. They're going to use it to get his money... or they'll report him."

"Let him get reported," Matt retorted harshly. He adjusted the bandage around his head and glared at the retreating figure of his manager. "From what you say, Kevin, he really deserves this."

"No!" Everyone turned to Sakira, who looked utterly horrified. "They can't send him to jail. He... no!"

Kevin wrapped an arm around her and looked imploringly at Matt. The older boy sighed, exasperated, and said, "All right. What are we going to do?"

There was a long period of silence before the five boys all reached the same conclusion: they had no idea what do to.

A/N - Yeah, I know I'm cruel. But that's all for now. If you want to chat, email me at lildreamer12@hotmail.com or IM me at WritinGal73. Bye – HW

* - I so didn't mean to do a corny pickup line. I just didn't see any way around it.

NEXT TIME - They decide what to do, the tour restarts, the return of Fan Girl and Annabelle, and Kevin tries to play matchmaker.


	9. Complications of the Heart

__

Disclaimer: Let me just say... I DON'T OWN DIGIMON! I do own Wakoki Records, Jack, Corey, Corbette, Kevin, Sakira. The music is Dream Street's and I don't own it. I also don't own Play.

****

A/N – Happy Anniversary to this fic! I am proud to announce that The Ishida Brothers celebrated its one year anniversary on February 19th. Yay!

Sorry about how long it took to get this chapter out. It's been a rough couple of months, with schoolwork and stuff, and I didn't really get a chance to edit and upload it.

So... Chapter 9. Should promise to be an interesting chapter. The boys figure out what to do about their current situation, the tour resumes, we see the return of Cammie and Annabelle, and Kevin tries to play matchmaker. Jam-packed with loads of stuff.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, Somnium87, Knight, EvilTenchi, SaturnsChild, Galassos Gal 127, PhoniexChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, ArchangelUK, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Authormon, Insane Friend 02, alfogamer2, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Dedication (as usual) to DJ Clue for a reason to keep going.

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 9 - Complications of the Heart

The boys heard screaming from where Jack was talking to the doctors. Matt let out a stream of curses that rivaled anyone's vocabulary. "What are we going to do?" he hissed. So far, as if luck was on their side, the girls hadn't noticed their huddle (minus Sakira, of course, who was involved). 

Kevin made the decision. Steeling his resolve, he began to hand out orders. "TK, get in the driver's seat and get ready to drive the damned bus. We're going for a getaway. Sakira, you need to distract the doctors for one second. Go out the back and act like an orderly. Tell 'em one of their patients is dying or something. We'll leave the door open so you can hop back in. Matt, Corbette, the minute the doctors turn their backs, pull Jack onto this bus and we'll shoot out of here. Got it?" There was a round of nods, although they were nervous.

"What about me?" Corey looked put-off at not being included.

"Make sure the girls are okay. I know it sounds like a sissy job, but if they start screaming and get the attention of the doctors, none of this will work." Kevin looked at his brothers and girlfriend and rubbed his palms together. "We've only got one shot. Let's make this work."

TK and Corey went immediately into action. TK slid into the driver's seat and studied the controls. Once certain he could use them, he nodded to Kevin, who gave Sakira a thumbs-up and a wavering grin. Corey, meanwhile, was talking quietly to the girls from Play, comforting them and instructing them not to scream.

"Um, doctor. The patient in Room 105 is hemorrhaging! Come quickly!" Sakira cried, looking panicked.

The doctors began muttering something about how they'd be right back and stay put, and they ran into the hospital. "Go!" Kevin yelled, as Matt and Corbette hauled Jack onto the bus. Reaching out the back door, Kevin grabbed Sakira's hand and helped her up, just as TK sped away.

Once they were a safe distance from the hospital, TK dropped down to normal speed, and Kevin let out a cheer. "We did it. Congratulations, guys." His tone came off sounding loose and casual, but his heart was pounding. He turned to Sakira. "You ought to go into acting if this whole singing thing doesn't work out, you know." She grinned at him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I could have given them the money, boys," Jack told them.

Kevin shook his head. "If you gave them the money now, they wouldn't stop. They'd blackmail you forever."

"But what are we going to do about them now?" Corbette asked, having collapsed in a nearby seat.

Matt answered. "They won't try anything now. If they claim he was driving drunk, he can deny it."

Kevin nodded. "They have no proof because they didn't make any records. They didn't want anyone else finding out."

"And they won't want us to tell that they were trying to blackmail him," Matt continued. "Wouldn't be good for their record, and I think they're more worried about themselves than getting him in trouble."

But Corbette was a really strong pessimist. "But what if they try anyway?"

"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it," Matt told him.

Kevin turned his attention to Jack. "We do need to think about something though, Jack. You have a problem. This isn't the first time you've been drinking. We... I've seen you do it before and sometimes worse. You need to stop drinking. It can get you into a lot of trouble and we won't be able to bust you out of it so easily next time."

Jack clapped a hand on his shoulder with a forced laugh. "Don't worry about me, Kevin. Thank you for getting me out of that mess. There won't be a next time."

"So you're going to quit?"

Jack hesitated. Finally he repeated, "There won't be a next time."

! ~ ! ~ !

As much as Kevin didn't want to perform, they arrived in Yuzawa with only one hour until the concert. Originally, there had been a day scheduled for relaxation, but Laila had canceled it when she was postponing the tour, so things weren't too off. "Hey, Jack?" Corey piped up as they were changing into their concert wear. "Do our parents know about the car accident? How come they didn't come to the hospital?"

"We told them, Corey, but they said they were having trouble at work and couldn't make it," Laila told him.

Corey sighed, looking hurt. "Of course. Work."

"It's always work," Corbette complained, patting his little brother's shoulder. "It's all right. There's nothing they could have done anyway, except fuss over us."

As he was walking away, he didn't hear Corey mutter, "I wish they had fussed over us."

Sakira opened as usual. Again, Kevin found himself breathless as he watched her grace and poise on stage. When she came backstage, she was rewarded with a searing kiss that left Corey and Corbette in hysterics, although Kevin couldn't figure out why.

Play followed, performing a routine of songs the boys had never heard before. "They're good," Matt commented as they sang. Corbette and TK nodded their agreements.

This time it was Corey who was entranced. He couldn't stop watching Faye. _So this is what Kevin feels like when Saki's performing_, part of his brain registered. He felt oddly lightheaded and he was sure he was wearing a goofy grin.

When they finished, The Ishida Brothers performed. TK sang I Miss You again, but this time the others managed some backup parts. When they were done, the crowd roared.

The table for signing autographs was bigger than usual to accommodate Play. Corbette watched anxiously for Annabelle, but was disappointed not to see her. He sighed. She wasn't here and she hadn't called him. Maybe he had been wrong in his assumption that she liked him. 

! ~ ! ~ !

"Hey, Matt!"

Matt looked up and studied the girl in front of him. She looked familiar, long blonde hair, cute smile, but he couldn't place her.

"Hi..."

"Cammie. Don't you remember me?"

Matt had a flashback to about three days ago. The girl was saying, "I promise not to tell anyone you were lying to me, and I'll save your reputation, if you go out on a date with me. Take me out after your next concert. I'll be there, no matter what. Bye."

The blood in his veins went cold.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath. To her, he said, "Oh, Cammie! Hey!"

She smiled, obviously glad to be recognized. "So are we still on for tonight?"

Matt paled and rubbed the back of his head like he always did when he was nervous. That's when he got a brilliant idea. "I don't think I should go out, Cammie. I just had a concussion. My manager wants us all to turn in early tonight."

"Oh, okay. Some other time then."

She didn't look nearly as disappointed as Matt would have liked. "Yeah. Some other time."

She was about to move on when she leaned close and whispered, "You know, Matt, rumor has it that Jack was driving drunk."

Matt felt the blood completely leave his face. "How'd... where'd you hear _that_?" he demanded, his voice choking up.

She smiled secretly and moved on. Inwardly, Matt cursed. Things had just gone from bad to worse.

! ~ ! ~ !

"You're not listening to me! A fan knows! Who's to say more fans don't know?"

Matt was hysterical and it truly wasn't helping matters. Kevin sat on Corbette's bed in their new hotel, his knees curled up to his chest. Sakira was next to him, trying not to look as utterly terrified as she felt. Corey was on his back on Matt's bed, staring at the ceiling with a defeated expression, and TK was perched on the edge of Matt's bed. Corbette was seated in a chair, and Matt was pacing anxiously.

Finally TK spoke up. "This fan, from what you've described, Matt, seems like she'd do anything to get close to you. I don't know why, but I've got this feeling that she has connections to people in high places."

"There shouldn't be any rumors," Kevin added. "We've already been through this."

Corbette, whose head had been resting in his hands, looked up. "I think TK's right about one thing. Cammie's definitely got connections. Remember when she conned you into a date the other day?' Matt nodded. "She said, no matter what, she'd be at the next concert. She's either go a lot of money or connections."

"Or both," Corey piped up.

There was a sharp knock on the door, and Sakira fell off the bed. Matt moved to open it.

Faye and Anais were standing outside. "Can we come in?" Anais asked, sounding nervous.

Matt glanced at his brothers, then nodded. "Yeah," he replied gruffly. "Come on." He ushered them in and shut the door.

Corey sat up when he saw the girls and grinned. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

Faye shakily returned his smile, but Anais didn't. "We need to talk to you," the brown-haired girl said.

"We saw Jack in the bar," Faye continued.

"He was drinking."

"A lot."

There was a moment of dead silence before Kevin let out a string of profanity. "He promised me! He promised he'd quit. He lied to me!"

It was Matt who came to comfort him. "He only said the crash would never happen again. He's going to get what he deserves, Kevin. If he won't quit, if he'll trick a 13-year-old into thinking he'd quit, he's going to get in trouble."

But Kevin didn't want to hear it. "That bastard!" He slammed his fist into the wall and ran out of the room.

"Kevin!"

Matt started after him, but Corbette stopped him. The younger twin turned to the girl sitting on his bed. "Sakira?" He searched her eyes imploringly.

She nodded. "I'll make sure he stays out of trouble, Corbette." She disappeared from the room.

Faye sat lightly next to Corey. "I'm sorry."

"There's no reason for you to apologize," TK told her. "Thanks for telling us. This isn't a new thing. He's been drinking at least since the tour started. After the crash..." TK sighed. "After the crash, we kind of thought he would stop." He shrugged.

They heard Take Me Out to the Ball Game from somewhere nearby.* "My cell phone!" Corbette cried, running to his bag. "Hello?" There was a moment's pause, then, "Oh, Lord. I'll be there in 20 minutes. Give me directions." Another pause, then, "Okay. See you soon. And whatever happens, don't go anywhere. What's you number in case I get lost? Okay. Bye."

Corbette hung up, his face pale. He turned to his twin. "That was Annabelle. There's been a problem and she needs some help. I have to go pick her up."

Matt nodded without hesitation. "Go with him, TK." The younger boy looked surprised, but agreed, no questions asked.

Corey stood up. "Corbette!"

The one in question turned. "Yeah?"

Corey smiled deviously. "Take this." He handed Corbette a set of car keys. "There's a blue '97 Volvo parked in the lot."

Corbette looked stunned. "How do you know? How'd you get these?"

"Jack rented the car. He left the keys on a table downstairs and I picked them up." Corey looked a little guilty. "I was going to give them back, but we had this little meeting."

Corbette smiled. "Thanks, Core." He left, followed closely by TK.

Matt, Corey, Faye, and Anais sat in silence before Matt asked, "Well, now what?"

! ~ ! ~ !

Sakira didn't have much trouble finding Kevin. He had gone down to the bar and was arguing with a guard, who wouldn't let him in.

"There you are," she muttered, running up to him. "Come on. Let's take a walk."

Kevin was reluctant to leave, so Sakira grabbed his arm and dragged him into the lobby. He spun on her, furious. "Damn you! When I get my hands on that lying piece of—Well, when I get my hands on him, I'll kill him."

"No, you won't."

He glared at her angrily. "I will! He deserves it. He tricked me. He made me believe he was going to change, and then he just goes and does it all over again!"

Sakira took a step closer to him and enveloped him in a hug. "He's been drinking for as long as I can remember. He's never going to change."

Kevin pulled away. "You told me you didn't know your uncle was an alcoholic."

"I didn't. I knew he drank, but I didn't know he was this bad. I swear." She ran a hand through Kevin's hair adoringly. "Come on. Let's go for that walk. It'll do us both some good."

! ~ ! ~ !

Corbette was driving way too fast for TK to be comfortable. "What's going on?" the younger boy demanded, clutching the handle above the window for reassurance.

"She's in trouble. Something really bad happened."

That answer didn't satisfy TK. "Corbette, you're driving down the road at 90 mph, putting both our lives in danger. I want to know what the hell is going on."

Corbette dropped his speed a little and sighed. "I can't tell you, T. It's not my business to tell. When Annabelle gets here, she can tell you. She trusted me, and I'm not about to break that trust."

At those words TK leaned back in his seat and bit his lip to keep from retorting. Corbette stopped the car in front of an ordinary-looking, tan split-level. He hopped out of the car and ran up the steps. TK moved into the back seat and watched as his brother pounded on the door. It opened slowly and Annabelle crept out. Corbette led her to the car. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were tear-stained, but she looked like she was trying her best not to cry. She was wearing a backpack.

Corbette opened the back door and tossed TK the key. "You drive," he ordered.

TK didn't argue. He knew enough about Corbette to know that this had to be serious if he was turning down the opportunity to drive. TK started up the car as Corbette and Annabelle loaded into the back seat. "Are you okay?" Corbette asked quietly. TK began to drive.

Annabelle sniffed once and squeezed her eyes shut against the fresh onslaught of tears. "Yeah," she whispered, but it was quite clear that she really wasn't.

TK bit the inside of his cheek to keep from asking about what happened. Instead he drove, following Corbette's occasional directions and his own sense of direction. They were back at the hotel in 15 minutes.

"Come on, we'll go up to my room," Corbette instructed, helping Annabelle out of the car. TK shut the car and followed, never saying anything, even though his mind was spinning.

Kevin and Sakira were outside. "What's going on?" Kevin asked, seeing his brothers so serious.

Corbette and Annabelle kept walking, but TK fell back and motioned the younger kids to follow him. "I haven't the faintest, actually. Corbette just keeps saying Annabelle's in trouble and he had to save her. I suppose they'll tell us upstairs maybe."

The three ran up to the rooms after their brother and knocked on Corbette and Matt's door. Matt answered and ushered them inside. "What's up?" Kevin asked again, this time looking more anxious and less curious.

Corbette looked at Annabelle who was sitting in a chair, a vacant expression on her face. She met his searching eyes and nodded. He sighed. "When she called before, she told me... her father was drunk and he... he..." Corbette couldn't finished the sentence. He looked at Annabelle.

Kevin, Matt, and TK looked at each other. "Raped you?" Kevin guessed. Annabelle shook her head, and Corbette raised an eyebrow at him.

"Hit you?" Matt offered. Another shake. 

"Killed himself?" TK tried.

This time Annabelle snorted. "I wish!" she exclaimed fervently. "He killed one of my brothers!" The words came pouring out of her and, despite her obvious attempt to control herself, she burst into tears again. Corbette began to rub her back.

"Holy shit," Matt muttered under his breath.

Kevin's face was red with rage. "Alcohol never did anything good for anybody," he muttered furiously, not only talking about Annabelle's situation.

"I can't go back!" Annabelle cried. "He'll kill me next. He's crazy."

"Tell the police what happened," TK suggested. 

"I... I can't. No one will believe me. My dad will cover up all the evidence and deny it... or worse, he'll say I did it!"

"You'll stay with us." Kevin, Matt, and TK turned to see Corey sitting on the bed, a determined look on his face. "It makes sense. We're going to God-knows-where on this tour. We can take her far enough away from her father that she'll be safe."

"What about Jack?" Kevin asked, gritting his teeth at the mention of the name.

Corey managed a wry grin. "If he tells about Annabelle, we'll tell about him driving drunk."

TK and Matt protested at the same time. "That's blackmail, Corey!"

"That's illegal!"

Corey looked serious. "He won't say a word about it."

Corbette glanced at Annabelle. "What about Patrick? And your mother?"

She shook her head, tears welling up again. "Patrick... he ran... right after the gunshot, right after Ryan hit the ground, Patrick ran. The look in his eyes... you could tell he's never coming back. As for my mom... I don't know. I really don't know. But I can't go back! I won't!" The sadness had disappeared from Annabelle's eyes and was replaced by a look of determination. "If you don't want me to stay with you, I'll go. I'll find someplace else to go."

But Corbette shook his head firmly. "You're staying with us."

She smiled shakily, the first time she'd smiled since she'd gotten in the car. "You can room with me and Kevin," Sakira piped up generously. Kevin shot her a desperate look, but she ignored him and he sighed resolutely.

Annabelle's eyes shined with tears again, but she blinked them back. "Thank you," she whispered.

Kevin felt a guilty pang for his reluctance and patted her back awkwardly. "Don't worry about it. We'll keep everything under control."

! ~ ! ~ !

Everyone slept uneasily that night, except Kevin, who didn't sleep at all, and Jack, who had passed out shortly after he left the bar. When they awoke the next morning and met in the lobby, Kevin was surprised to see Corey looking the worst. "Are you okay?" he asked in an undertone, knowing Corey hated to be babied.

"I'm fine," he replied. "I had a rough night."

Kevin nodded understandingly. "Didn't we all?" He tousled Corey's blonde locks.

Faye came over just then, and Kevin grinned silently when Corey greeted her. "Are you okay, Corey?" she asked. "You look sick."

He blushed and managed a wry smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I didn't get a lot of sleep."

"Maybe you should kiss it and make it better, Faye," Kevin suggested.

Corey glared sharply at him as Faye turned a color resembling a tomato. "Kevin, don't you have someplace else to be?" Corey demanded, scowling.

The older blonde smirked. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Because I want you to GO AWAY!"

Kevin winced at once, feeling properly abashed. "Sorry about that. I think I'll be off. Ta." He escaped to Sakira's side, where he studied his feet intently, feeling extremely guilty for torturing his little brother.

"Sorry about Kevin," Corey said to Faye. "He has no life."

She grinned at him weakly. "It's no problem."

"Yeah, well, he shouldn't have opened his big mouth."

"Corey, really. It's no big deal."

Corey sighed. "Okay. If you say so. How are you?" he asked conversationally, smoothly changing the subject.

Jack came down just then, and the group stopped talking to face him. He looked a bit pale and unshaven. Kevin unconsciously clenched his fist and moved closer to Sakira, who gripped his shirt sleeve tightly. "Who're you?" Jack demanded of Annabelle, his words only slightly garbled.

She opened her mouth to respond, but Corbette was a step ahead of her. "Her name is Annabelle. She'll be joining us on tour."

"Isn't she a fan?"

"The biggest," Annabelle replied with a sardonic smile.

"Sorry, kid, but fans can't come on the tour with us."

Corey jumped in. "She's coming on the tour if we say she is. Unless you'd like us to tell everyone what really happened that day we crashed..." He let his voice trail off meaningfully, and Jack's eyes widened.

"That's blackmail!"

Corey looked bemused. "So it is," he retorted, pretending to have just realized it. He put on his innocent look. "Please let her come, Jack. She's got nowhere else to go, and Corbette really likes her, and it'd be good for her to come on tour. It may not even be the whole time. She's got relatives somewhere near where we're going, so she can probably stay there." He was now officially lying through his teeth, but it was for a good cause, so nobody denied it.

"Fine," Jack replied with a sigh. "She can come."

Kevin grinned at Corey, who wore a triumphant smile. Annabelle hugged him tightly, and Corbette clapped his shoulder, obviously ignoring Corey's statement about his (slight) crush on her.

They got ready to go to the concert hall, nervous, both about the concert, and about what would happen as the tour continued.

****

A/N - Wow, I'm stressed just thinking about it. This chapter is so much more intense than the others, and it's only going to get worse. I hope you liked it.

* - I don't know if cell phones in Japan play Take Me Out to the Ball Game, but it was the best I could come up with.

NEXT TIME - Another concert, Matt's date, Corbette gets slapped, and Corey and Annabelle have a heart-to-heart.


	10. Exchanged Words

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Disclaimer: Anything you recognize from Digimon, Dream Street, or Play, I don't own. Anything you recognize previously from this story, such as Jack, Corbette, Corey, Kevin, Sakira, Annabelle, and Cammie, I own.

****

A/N - It's hard to ever believe I didn't want to write this. Now that I'm in my second year of this story (Ah!), and double digits (Double Ah!), the plot should be thickening. I'm not sure, but I think the end may be in sight. On second thought, we've still got a long way to go (I hope).

This chapter shouldn't be quite as intense as the last; it's a little lighter. There's another concert, Matt's date, Corbette getting slapped, and Corey and Annabelle having a heart-to-heart.

Shout outs to Dreamer4, Dark Gamer, Light Gamer, Somnium87, Knight, EvilTenchi, SaturnsChild, Galassos Gal 127, PhoniexChild, Wolfie, TogetherAgain, ArchangelUK, Arylwren, Digicowboy, Blackout12, Phire Phoenix, Authormon, Insane Friend 02, alfogamer2, Takari's Baybee, Immia, AlexPG13, and shadow2k. Dedication to DJ Clue (of course) for helping me get this far.

**__**

The Ishida Brothers

By: Hopeful Writer

****

Chapter 10 - Exchanged Words

"You know, I've never seen a concert from backstage," Annabelle admitted, as she watched the boys get made up. Somewhere nearby, Play was warming up for their numbers, and Sakira was sitting next to Annabelle, waiting to have her own makeup done.

"Trust me, it's the best view," Kevin piped up. The woman doing his makeup glowered at him, and he silenced immediately. Sakira hid a smirk.

"It's an entirely different experience than watching it from the audience," she told the fan. "You not only watch the dances and stuff, but also the audience reactions. It's the closest to being on stage except actually performing." She grinned wickedly. "But the best part is right before and after the concert, when the boys are freaking out the most." Her voice dropped to a loud whisper, which everyone in the room could hear. "Matt actually prays before each concert."

"Hey!" he cried indignantly. "So what?"

The girls giggled. "It's just amusing, that's all," Sakira replied through her laughter.

Matt, who had been effectively quieted by his makeup advisor, took to glaring at the girls, obviously offended.

By the time everyone had makeup on, hair styled, and warm ups done, the concert was nearly set to start. They all ran through their pre-show habits (yes, Matt did pray), while Annabelle watched in a sort of bewildered amusement. Finally, they settled for five minutes before Sakira would sing.

"You okay?" Corbette asked, plopping down next to Annabelle.

"Sure, fine, why wouldn't I be?" she responded in a rush. She knew she hardly sounded convincing, and Corbette's raised eyebrow only supported that feeling. "Well, okay, I'm not fine. But I'm not as bad as I was yesterday. I think I'm still sort of in shock. It's like, like I just came to see a concert. It'll hit soon, and then I won't be fine anymore, but… but I've got you guys to help me through it, right?"

She looked positively terrified at the idea of the shock wearing off, and Corbette nodded firmly. "If you don't feel like you can handle it on your own, say the word and I'll be here for you."

Annabelle didn't miss it when he said 'I' instead of 'we', but she didn't have a chance to comment because Sakira was about to start performing. "Good luck," Corey called, while Kevin gave her a kiss on the cheek.

TK, Matt, and Corbette were now running some drills while they waited for their turn to perform. Kevin was watching Sakira sing and dance, a dazed expression on his face, and Corey was watching Kevin, fighting not to laugh.

Annabelle had to admit, Sakira was right. It was entirely different on this side of the curtain. The audience (especially the male portion) was watching Sakira while cheering and singing along. It was moving to watch all those people cheering, almost like she was the one they were cheering for.

Then Play performed. Annabelle noted with amusement that the dazed look Kevin had once had was now at home on Corey's boyish face. She shook her head. Boys never understood love.

When it was finally The Ishida Brothers turn to perform, the cheering was at such an intense volume, Anais covered her ears. "I wish our fans were as loud as this," she admitted. "Of course, it is their tour, so most of their fans are here." Rosie nodded in agreement.

Annabelle had her eyes fixed on the younger of the Ishida twins. Corbette was singing his part of Feel the Rain, which he and Matt sang together. Annabelle thought they were so cute at concerts, especially when they dressed exactly the same, but in different colors. It amazed her how she could always tell which one was which, but everyone else seemed to have problems with it. She had always had a gift for finding little differences though, probably from living with Patrick and Ryan, who were also identical.

A beam from the spotlight caught Corbette's hair, making it shimmer just as he began to sing his solo, Someone to Hold Me Tonight. The cheering in the audience was deafening, but Annabelle didn't hear it. She could only hear Corbette sing. She didn't even hear Sakira, who was next to her, say to Faye, "Damn, she's head over heels."

The concert ended and the singers signed autographs within the hour. Finally, they were ready to go back to the hotel. Until a girl with dirty-blonde hair approached Matt. "Can you go out tonight?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper. 

He glanced helplessly at Corbette, but the latter seemed out of ideas. Matt let his head droop in defeat and nodded. "Sure, Cammie, I can go out. I have to be back by nine though."

"Why so early?" She didn't seem to really care about the answer; she was too excited about going out with him.

"We're leaving for another city tomorrow, and Jack wants us up early."

She threaded her arm through his. "Then we ought to enjoy our time together. Let's go."

* ~ * ~ *

Matt was about thirty seconds short of banging his head against the table. He still couldn't figure out how he was roped into this date. He had taken Cammie to a fairly expensive restaurant because it was a good fifteen minutes from the hotel and he would need to leave earlier to bring her home. Cammie was talking non-stop (now it was something about her dress), and he just couldn't put up with her high-pitched voice any longer. He checked his watch, which read 8:34. Exactly one minute had passed since the last time he checked it. Maybe it was broken. Yes, that must have been it.

"Excuse me," he muttered, interrupting her in the middle of a sentence. "I need to use the bathroom."

Entering the boys' bathroom, he ran the cold water and splashed some on his face. "Just ten more minutes, buddy. You can do it. Then you can take her home and be done with this vile, vile thing."

"You're Corbette Ishida, aren't you?" someone asked.

Matt cursed silently, then turned to see a wiry boy with chocolate hair at the sink next to him. "No, I'm Matt," he corrected gruffly.

"Oh, sorry," the kid apologized, looking abashed. "I took my girlfriend to see your concert earlier," he added. "No offense, but boy bands aren't quite my thing." He grabbed a few paper towels to dry his hands.

"Ah." Inwardly, Matt wondered how this guy could possibly have a girlfriend. "Great." He checked his watch again. 8:36. He sighed. "I should get back to my… date. See you around."

"Bye."

Matt left the bathroom and checked his watch again. Still 8:36. Damn. He couldn't take anymore of this. He sat across from Cammie again, and she started talking again like he hadn't even left. At a lull in the conversation (8:41), he asked, "Did the bill come left? We should get going."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I paid for it already. We'll leave whenever you're ready. I'd love to do this again sometime, how about you? Can I call you?"

Matt bit his lip. "Um, I don't think that's such a good idea."

She looked so crestfallen that he almost felt bad. Almost. "Why not?"

"I sort of, er, have a girlfriend back home. I think she'd kill me if she knew I was on a date."

Cammie sighed, tears welling in her dark eyes. "Oh, that's okay. I'm sorry about all this, then. You see, I have a habit of becoming… obsessed with my favorite singers and actors. I'm sorry."

Matt felt quite bad now. "Don't worry. It's okay, honest. I'm explain everything to her if I have to."

He drove her home in silence. He thought she finally understood that he didn't want to be with her. As he walked her to the door, she completely contradicted this thought. "I had a great time, Matt," she said quietly. "I'd love to do this again, even if it's just as friends. Your girlfriend would never know."

It sounded like she was tempting him, but it was making him nauseous instead. "Cammie, we've been through this—" She cut him off by kissing his on the lips, hard.

As he struggled to pull away, he heard the worst sound he could have ever heard. The flash of a camera. He broke away from Cammie and saw someone running away. He swore.

He turned to Cammie furiously. "We can't ever do this again," he told her firmly. "Never."

With that, he left for his car. When he arrived back at the hotel, Corbette was laying on his back, staring at the ceiling. He rolled over, took one look at Matt's face and attempted a grin. "That bad, huh?"

"Someone took a picture of her kissing me."

"Damn."

"How was your night?" Matt asked.

Corbette's smile faded. "Not too good either. I was kissed and slapped within seconds of each other. And it wasn't even my fault!"

Matt flopped onto his own bed. "Our track record with women isn't that good, huh?"

"I don't know. You and Sora have always got on pretty well."

"We've only ever been friends, Corbette."

The other boy shrugged. "Okay. So maybe our track record isn't that great." He turned out the lights. "See you tomorrow."

"Night."

* ~ * ~ *

__

*This takes place while Matt is on his date.*

Corbette and TK watched Matt drive off with Cammie, barely restraining their laughter. "How does he get into these messes?" TK wondered.

Corbette shook his head. "It's the Ishida charm, I tell you."

"Sure, sure. The charm that you guys haven't got?"

"Hey, shut up!"

TK started to respond, then frowned suddenly. He shuffled off to go talk to Corey, Faye, and Anna who were comparing notes about the concert. Corbette watched him, sighing and wondering where the bubbly, happy boy was hiding. He looked around. Sakira and Kevin were talking to Anais and Rosie. It was obvious from Kevin's red face that the girls were talking about boys, and he was stuck in the middle. Annabelle hung on the outskirts, not really included in their conversation. Corbette motioned her over and they boarded the tour bus to go back to the hotel.

Once there, Corbette and Annabelle were engrossed in a conversation about the better band, Good Charlotte (who Corbette loved) or BBMak (who Annabelle thought was far superior). "They're weak," Corbette complained, shaking his head. "Their music is too quiet."

"You're weak. You just can't handle the realness of their songs."

"Good Charlotte is so much better. Have you ever heard Lifestyles? It's the truth if I've ever heard it."

"Have you ever heard Still On Your Side?" Annabelle countered. "It's so sweet!" Corbette made a gagging noise, and Annabelle hit him in the ribs. Immediately Corbette responded by tickling her. She squirmed, trying to escape, until she realized her face was mere millimeters from his. The tickling had stopped, but neither one of them moved. Corbette swallowed, his arms slipping around her waist. He didn't dare breathe too hard.

It took three seconds for Annabelle to realize they were moving closer. Her eyes fluttered shut expectantly, and then she felt the soft pressure of his lips touching hers. Her head began to swim, and she was no longer conscious of which way was up. When they pulled back, she did the only thing she could do.

She slapped him.

The contact of her hand against his cheek drove them both back to reality. Her eyes suddenly widening, Annabelle realized exactly what had taken place in the last minute and ran. She couldn't go into her hotel room (Kevin and Sakira had asked for some privacy), so she knocked on the door to Corey and TK's room. Corey answered it, his expression concerned. "What's the matter?"

"I… nothing, I mean… well, I just can't go into my room and I was wondering if I could stay in yours for a little while, maybe watch some TV or something?"

He shrugged, obviously not believing her, but too polite to say anything. "Sure, TK said he was going to call Kari from the pay phone and then he was going to hit the pool for a while."

Annabelle was surprised. "Why's he calling her from the pay phone?"

Corey smiled mischievously. "I told him he wasn't allowed to call from the phone in the rooms anymore, because I needed to occasionally get a full night's sleep."

She laughed. Corey had the television on HBO, and Ace Ventura* was playing. "This is such a funny movie," she commented.

He shrugged. "I guess. It's kind of stupid, but there's nothing else on, so I'm watching it."

They sat in silence for a while as they watched. Corey broke the silence. "Did something happen between you and Corbette?" he asked quietly.

Annabelle's breath hitched. Was she _that_ transparent? "How did you know?" she demanded.

He shrugged. "I know my brother," he said simply. "He has a bit of a reputation."

She sighed. "He kissed me. So of course, what did I do?"

"Kiss him back?"

She snorted. "No, that would have been the smart thing. I slapped him."

Corey tried very hard to wince at that, but wound up in a fit of laughter. "Aw, don't worry about it. He deserves it, I'm sure, for something of another." Then, suddenly serious, he studied her face. "You… you really like him, don't you?"

She blushed and tried to find the words, but her tongue felt swollen and her mouth felt dry. After several unsuccessful attempts, she nodded. Corey nibbled on his lip. "He likes you too, but he's not sure how to say it. See, Corbette can really flirt with girls, but only girls he's not crazy about. You, on the other hand, he can't flirt with because he's afraid to say something that will drive you away. He's head over heels for you. Trust me."

"But I slapped him," she moaned.

Corey couldn't help grinning at that. "Yeah, that may not have been the way to show your undying affection. Don't worry, he'll come around. I'm sure he's fine."

There was another long period of silence. Corey had gone back to watching Ace Ventura, while Annabelle stared at the screen, not quite comprehending what she was seeing.

This time, she broke the quiet. "What about you and Faye?" she remarked carefully, not sure how far she could push without being shunned out.

Corey turned scarlet and stared at the quilt, tracing the floral pattern with his forefinger. "What about us?" he retorted with little volume.

"Do you like her?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I've never liked a girl before."

Annabelle suppressed a sigh. This was like trying to draw blood from a stone. "Okay, when she comes into the room, how do you feel?"

He thought for a moment, a very long moment. "I don't know. Like, like I want to smile, I guess."

She beamed at him. "That's a good sign. That means you do like her."

Corey blushed and ducked his head, returning his attention to Ace Ventura. When Annabelle looked over again, a few minutes later, he had fallen asleep.

She carefully moved him to his pillow and dropped the covers over him. Planting a sisterly kiss on his forehead, she slipped out of his room and into her own, where Kevin and Sakira were also asleep. She pulled out the couch and grabbed the spare blanket and pillow from the closet. She settled in and began to drift off to sleep, remembering Corey's words. _"He likes you too, but he's not sure how to say it. See, Corbette can really flirt with girls, but only girls he's not crazy about. You, on the other hand, he can't flirt with because he's afraid to say something that will drive you away. He's head over heels for you. Trust me."_

She smiled as she slipped into blissful unconsciousness.

A/N - Short chapter, it's only 6 pages as opposed to my usual 9 or 10. This is kind of a bridge from the last chapter to the next, which should be a little more intense (I hope). Hope you enjoyed it! Bye – HW (lildreamer12@hotmail.com)

¡Sorry the date scene turned out so crappy. I had trouble writing it.¡

* - Is there HBO in Japan? If not, imagine it's whatever the movie station is, and imagine a Japanese movie is playing.

NEXT TIME - More from TK's point of view, we learn a little more about Sakira (in flashbacks), Sora's reaction to Matt's date, and we wind up in the hospital (again).


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